Specialist Haemoglobinopathy Team
Bristol Children’s Hospital Sickle Cell and Thalassemia service is responsible for the care of patients with inherited haemoglobin disorders locally and throughout the South West region in collaboration with several shared care centres. We offer routine transcranial doppler screening for children with sickle cell disorders who are at increased risk of stroke.
Outpatient service
The outpatient department consists of a day unit call Ocean Unit which has 10 beds and 3 clinic rooms, where patients can receive day care, outpatient appointments, transfusions and manual and automated exchanges. There is access to the apheresis team, acute pain service and phlebotomy service (where blood tests are taken).
The haemoglobinopathy outpatient department runs a clinic every third and fifth Tuesday between 1.30pm and 5.00pm.
Local multidisciplinary team meetings (MDT) are held every second and fourth Tuesday between 9.30am and 11.00am and regional MDT meetings are held monthly.
University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust
Bristol Royal Hospital for Children
Upper Maudlin Street
Bristol
BS2 8BJ
Please note this information was accurate at the time of publishing. We cannot be held responsible for information changes which we have not been informed about.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact our team via our Contact form.
Our team
Doctors
Dr Michelle Cummins
Dr Maria Pelidis
Dr Jo Collins
Dr Christie Drury
Dr John Moppett
Dr Helen Lane (currently on maternity leave)
Nurses
Sophie Smith (currently on maternity leave)
Helen O’Keefe
Katrina Riley
Pharmacy
Vanessa Mclelland
Support worker
Hayley Wiles
Psychologist
Dr Sarah Muddle (currently on maternity leave)
Local Haemoglobinopathy Teams
There are around 80 patients across the region in the South West with haemoglobin disorders. Their care is provided by local hospitals and overseen by the SHT team in Bristol.
Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust
Derriford Road
Crownhill
Plymouth
Devon
PL6 8DH
Medical Secretary contact details (if there are problems arranging an outpatient appointment)
Tel: 01752 432450
Sickle Cell Nurse Specialist contact details (Non-Urgent medical problems only)
Tel: 07771 983 137
In case of emergency (who to contact/where to present)
Known patients have open access to the Children’s Assessment Unit on level 12 at Derriford. If patient is unwell with pain or anything thought to be sickle-related, the family can call the Children’s Assessment Unit on 01752 430 401 or 01752 245 122.
Doctors
Dr Claire Letaigne
Doctors
Dr Myooren Wimalendra
Royal United Hospital Bath
Combe Park
Bath
Avon
BA1 3NG
Telephone No:
Monday to Friday 9am – 5pm : 01225 824442
Out of Hours : 01225 824421
Haemoglobinopathy clinic details (ie location, date, time)
General Haematology clinic every three months: March, June, September, December
Blood test details ie bloods for clinic appointment or if patients only attend for HU bloods. At hospital or in community?
Blood tests should be taken at the hospital.
In case of emergency (who to contact/where to present)
To contact the Children’s Ward and Paediatric Assessment Unit. Open access given.
Doctors
Dr Jagadeesh Ramachandra
Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Great Western Road
Gloucester
Gloucestershire
GL1 3NN
Telephone No 03004228491
Haemoglobinopathy clinic details (ie location, date, time)
GRH Children’s Outpatients, Friday p.m.
Blood test details ie bloods for clinic appointment or if patients only attend for HU bloods. At hospital or in community?
Arrangements for blood tests:
>6 years Edward Jenner unit at GRH
<7 years Paediatric Outpatients at GRH
In case of emergency (who to contact/where to present)
Local patients with open access should follow the open access process. All other patients including visitors should present via ED
Link to hospital website / specific haematology page
https://www.gloshospitals.nhs.uk/our-services/consultants/dr-thomas-kus/
Any other information you would like us to include
Doctors
Dr Thomas Kus
Nurses
Joan Mitchell
Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital
Barrack Road
Exeter
EX2 5DW
Telephone No: 01392 411611
Haemoglobinopathy clinic details (ie location, date, time)
One clinic per month as part of paediatric haematology clinic, arranged on an adhoc basis
Blood test details ie bloods for clinic appointment or if patients only attend for HU bloods. At hospital or in community?
Blood tests should be taken at the hospital.
In case of emergency (who to contact/where to present)
Present to the emergency department. The emergency department team will be able to see an alert on the online system detailing the child’s medical history.
Doctors
Dr Simon Parke
Musgrove Park Hospital, Taunton
Parkfield Drive
Taunton
Somerset
TA1 5DA
Tel: 01823 342214 (secretary’s number)
Email: linda.whiteford@somersetft.nhs.uk
Haemoglobinopathy clinic details (ie location, date, time):
Seen within paediatric haematology clinic on Tuesday mornings
Blood test details ie bloods for clinic appointment or if patients only attend for HU bloods. At hospital or in community?
Bloods taken in the community by Community CNS or at clinic visit
In case of emergency (who to contact/where to present):
Contact Oak Ward on 01823 342016
Doctors
Dr Linda Whiteford
Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust
Torbay Hospital
Lowes Bridge
Torquay
TQ2 7AA
Telephone No: 01803 614567
Email: tsdftpaedsadmincover@nhs.net
Blood test details ie bloods for clinic appointment or if patients only attend for HU bloods.
Paeidatric blood clinic level 7 Elizabeth Ward Tel 01803 656356 to book appt
In case of emergency
Emergency Dept Torbay Hospital
Doctors
Dr Alison Janzen
Dr Barry Jackson
Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust
Royal Cornwall Hospital
Treliske
Truro
TR1 3LJ
Telephone No 01872 250000
Haemoglobinopathy clinic details (ie location, date, time)
There are no specific haemoglobinopathy clinics, patients are slotted into benign haematology clinics. Generally on Wednesday afternoons. Appointments will be in Gwithian Paediatric Outpatients, 4th Floor Tower Block.
Blood test details ie bloods for clinic appointment or if patients only attend for HU bloods. At hospital or in community?
Bloods for monitoring hydroxycarbamide are generally conducted by the community nursing team. Gwithian does also offer an outpatient paediatric phlebotomy service when the specialist nurses can’t accommodate.
In case of emergency (who to contact/where to present)
Known sickle cell patients have open access to Paediatric Assessment Unit, 5th Floor Tower block. They call 01872 253468 and let staff know they are on Dr Mullett’s Open access for Sickle cell disease and can obtain advice or be brought in as indicated.
Doctors