Local MP Clare Short (Birmingham Ladywood) joined staff and patients at Birmingham Acute Sickle Cell and Thalassaemia Centre on Friday 7th December 2007. Ms Short met staff and patients to hear first hand about living with the diseases and had a chance to find out more about both the diseases and the importance of being tested. Sickle cell is one of the most commonly inherited genetic diseases in England – around 12,500 people have the disease and there are an estimated 240,000 carriers. Around 700 people are affected by thalassaemia major with an estimated 214,000 carriers.

Ms Short said: “I was delighted to come and meet the team and patients at the Centre. It’s great to know there are so many dedicated people involved in the care of people affected by these diseases. Despite their efforts, awareness of sickle cell and thalassaemia is still low. It’s important to be tested for the diseases before you start thinking about having children. It’s just a simple blood test, but the results could help you plan for your family’s future.”

Dr Allison Streetly, Programme Director for the Sickle Cell and Thalassaemia Screening Programme comments:
“We have come a long way since the Programme was started in 2001. Newborn screening for sickle cell is now offered to all babies born in England and we are well on our way to offering antenatal screening to all pregnant women in England too. This is a huge achievement by the NHS and its staff but there is still much to be done to increase awareness and improve understanding of the diseases.
“Sickle cell and thalassaemia largely affect black and minority ethnic groups, but because they are genetic, they can in fact, affect anyone. England is now a diverse and culturally very rich society, and so the susceptibility of a person to have these diseases is more difficult to predict. Everyone needs to consider screening for these diseases.”