Following the petition calling for the Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC) unit for sickle cell patients at The Royal London Hospital to be protected, Barts Health NHS Trust has now published an official statement providing an update on its SDEC pilot.

In the statement, Barts Health explains that the pilot ran from September 2025 to the end of January, and was designed to test an alternative route for treating sickle cell patients experiencing acute pain alongside the usual pathway through A&E. The Trust states that there is no change to the way patients with sickle cell disease are managed, and that the Haematology Day Unit remains open for elective transfusion therapies. It also confirms that patients will continue to receive specialist-led care, and that the Trust remains committed to improving pain management pathways, including welcoming input into service design.

While this update may provide reassurance for some, we recognise that many in the community have shared concerns about the experience of receiving care in general A&E settings. We will continue to listen to service users and monitor developments closely.

You can read the full Royal London Hospital statement here:
https://www.bartshealth.nhs.uk/news-from-rlh/update-on-our-same-day-emergency-care-pilot-for-sickle-cell-patients-18305