Information and resources for hospital and lab staff
If you're involved in matching blood for patients with inherited anaemias, find out more information about the blood group genotyping programme what it and means for you.
How this programme will work
Blood group genotyping will be available from January 22, 2024, for all people in England living with sickle cell disorder, thalassemia, and with transfusion dependent rare inherited anaemias.
NHS England is working in partnership with NHS Blood and Transplant. More patients can tested, faster, thanks to a new array developed by the Blood transfusion Genomics Consortium (BGC). The samples will be tested at NHS Blood and Transplant's (NHSBT) Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory in Bristol.
NHS England is funding the test so hospitals will not be charged during the programme, which will last until a date to be confirmed in 2024. After that, we expect NHSBT will charge hospitals. We will also test for Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) type (commonly known as the tissue or bone marrow type), so people who are eligible for a stem cell transplant will have taken the first step already.
The test will be made available in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, on a date to be confirmed.
Contact us
If you have any questions about the programme, please contact transfusion@nhsbt.nhs.uk.