Haematological Cancer

Department of Health written question – answered at on 28 July 2015.

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Photo of Lord Stevenson of Balmacara Lord Stevenson of Balmacara Shadow Spokesperson (Business, Innovation and Skills), Opposition Whip (Lords), Shadow Spokesperson (Culture, Media and Sport)

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the report Destination Cure; and whether they plan to support the calls for a stem cell donor for every person who needs one, a successful transplant for every blood cancer patient, and the right post-transplant care for every patient who needs it.

Photo of Lord Prior of Brampton Lord Prior of Brampton The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health

The Government remains committed to improving stem cell transplantation services and doing all we can to help those in need of a transplant to find a suitable donor.

Since 2011, the Department has provided our delivery partners, NHS Blood and Transplant and the Anthony Nolan (formerly the Anthony Nolan Trust), a total of £16 million in additional new funding to improve stem cell transplantation services in the United Kingdom. A further £3 million investment was announced in March 2015.

This funding has led to a tangible improvement in the availability of stem cells in the UK and the achievements include:

  1. More UK patients received a stem cell transplant in 2014 than ever before;
  2. Over 60% of black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) patients are now able to find a well matched donor compared to only 40% in 2010;
  3. A single unified bone marrow donor registry has been created streamlining the provision of stem cells and reducing the time to provide cells from adult donors;
  4. The proportion of patients receiving cord blood from UK donors has significantly increased; and

5. An increase in UK patients receiving a transplant from 802 in 2010/11 to 1060 in 2013/14. The increased use of UK-sourced stem cells has meant that more donors than ever are available to donate leading to a significant cost saving by reducing the need to import stem cells.

The report ‘Destination Cure – arriving at a better future’ from Anthony Nolan is a timely contribution to the debate on the future of this work.

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