Extended blood group testing offered to everyone with sickle cell disorder, thalassaemia and transfusion-dependent rare inherited anaemias

This Sickle Cell Awareness Day, we’re encouraging nurses to offer extended blood group testing to everyone with sickle cell, thalassaemia and transfusion-dependent rare anaemias.

The support of haemoglobinopathy nurses is vital because of their close relationships with people affected.

Patients can give a sample at a routine appointment to enable DNA-based testing of extended blood groups. This testing will allow better blood matching in the future, reducing the risk of antibody formation.

NHS England and NHS Blood and Transplant are working in partnership on the testing programme, which started in January 2024 and is currently free to hospitals.

“If one little test can help people avoid these terrible complications, then it’s well worth having.”

Bernadette Hylton, Lead Haemoglobinopathy Clinical Nurse Specialist at University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, offers the test to her patients, and said: “It’s easy to send off samples and the test will help protect patients in the future.”

Tunde Akintola, 52, a management consultant from Camden, was offered the test by Bernadette. He has sickle cell and receives regular transfusions.

“I have a good friend who has developed antibodies and it has had a devastating effect on this life,” said Tunde.

“So I would support nurses offering the test and people asking for the test 1,000%.

“When you give the blood for the sample, it’s just the usual needle. If one little test can help people avoid these terrible complications, then it’s well worth having.”

Blood Group Genotyping Programme - Bernadette and Tunde

Watch our short video to find out more about the programme.

You can find out more about the testing programme on our website.