Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department is taking steps to help tackle (a) racial and (b) other stereotypes which are experienced by (i) black and (ii) other people with sickle cell disease.

No specific assessment has been made. Specialist haemoglobinopathy teams and haemoglobinopathy co-ordinating centres are required to submit data via the Specialised Services Quality Dashboard on the percentage of patients given pain relief within 30 minutes of presentation with a sickle cell crisis, according to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s guidelines. The data does not include patients attending non-specialist haemoglobinopathy providers and further work is required to improve the accuracy of the data submission before it can be used to assess compliance.

Sickle cell disease and thalassemia are now described as core competencies haematology medical curriculum. Health Education England (HEE) also provides e-learning which includes content on sickle cell disease. HEE, the Royal College of Pathology and the Royal College of Physicians have ensured this curriculum is deliverable to all four nations, in line with the General Medical Council’s standards. Haemoglobinopathy Coordinating Centres also provide network development, leadership, learning and education. Following the publication of ‘Our plan for patients”, the Department is reviewing its priorities on preventing ill-health and address health disparities.