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Welcome to the Sickle Cell and Thalassaemia Centre (SCaT). The service is located at the Midland Metropolitan University Hospital.
The unit is a day-case treatment centre providing care for patients with Sickle Cell Disease and Thalassaemia and their families and friends. Some appointments are booked; but we are largely a walk-in service.
The Midland Met also home to the West Midlands Adult Haemoglobinopathy Network which was established in 2016. The aim of the network is to bring about improved and standardised care of sickle cell anaemia and thalassaemia patients living within the West Midlands area.
It also aims to bring more cohesion between the multi-disciplinary teams of professionals involved in the care of patients, promote patient/family involvement, recognise and support community/voluntary sector’s contribution to overall care/support of patients in the region.
It brings together services for adult patients with inherited blood disorders that affect haemoglobin from hospitals across the region and consists of:
- Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust
- The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust
- University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust
- The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust
- The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust
- University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust
- University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust
- Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust
- Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust
Nationally recognised, Birmingham has the highest concentration of haemoglobin disorders (sickle cell anaemia and thalassaemia) outside of London.
Haemoglobinopathy is defined as any haematological disorder due to alteration in the genetically determined molecular structure of haemoglobin, resulting in conditions such as Sickle Cell Anaemia and Thalassemia.
Services
The SCaT centre is a regional service providing:
- Day case pain management for sickle cell patients in acute sickle cell painful crisis
- Regular blood transfusions for Thalassaemia patients and support with chelation therapy
- Some blood transfusions for sickle cell patients
- Outreach support for all our patients when they are in-patients
- Medical and Nurse-led reviews
- Consultant led out-patient clinics
- Apheresis in conjunction with the National Blood Transfusion Service
- Joint endocrine and orthopaedic clinics
Other Services
The Sickle Cell and Thalassaemia Centre works very closely with the Community Haemoglobinopathy Nursing Team, the Birmingham Children’s Hospital Haemoglobinopathy Unit, the Voluntary Sector (OSCAR Birmingham, OSCAR Sandwell and the Sickle Cell Cares Wolverhampton) and our own hospital’s wider multi-disciplinary team.
We run joint endocrine clinics and joint orthopaedic clinics quarterly. We work closely with the leg ulcer nurses and the diabetes/endocrine nurses.
Apheresis is provided in conjunction with the National Blood Transfusion Service.
For more information see:
Patient Information
We would like to welcome young patients into our adult service. We have two patient information leaflets below which tell you what to expect. There is also a video which takes you on a quick tour of the SCaT centre, located at The Midland Metropolitan University Hospital. The video also includes directions to the centre when you arrive at the hospital.
Patient information leaflets:
- Iron Overload and Chelation Therapy ML7501
- Moving from child to adult services: A guide for Thalassaemia patients
- Moving from child to adult servicesML6221
- Living with sickle cell disease ML6215
- Preventing Infection in Sickle Cell Disease, incorproating Travel Advice ML7143
- Pregnancy advice for women with Sickle Cell Disease
- Risk of infection
- Desferal chelation therapy ML6229
- Priapism Information and advice for patients
- Psychology Service for Sickle Cell and Thalassaemia ML6727
- Information for people who carry Alpha Thalassaemia ML6230
- Sickle Cell Trait ML6187
- Hydroxycarbamide for the treatment ML6228
- Living well with sickle cell disease ML6215
- Information about Beta Thalassaemia ML7504
- Managing the pain of an acute sickle cell crisis ML6216
- Implanted Ports or Port-A-Caths M7584
- Moving from child to adult services- a guide for Sickle Cell Disease ML6240
The following leaflets are available upon request from the department:
- Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA)
- Employment and Sickle Cell Disease
- Endocrine Problems in Thalassaemia
- Hydroxycarbamide for the Treatment of Sickle Cell Disease
- Hypoglycaemia
- Iron Overload and Chelation
- Painkillers (Analgesia)
- Sickle Cell Trait
- Supporting the National Haemoglobinopathy Registry (NHR)
Contacts
Telephone: 0121 507 6040
Centre opening times:
Monday to Thursday: 9am to 5pm
Friday: 9am to 4pm
For more information about disabled access for this service
Last modified: 26 March 2025
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