About the Network
WMSTN is one of 10 regional haemoglobinopathy networks operating across England, set up to look after patients living with sickle cell disease, and one of four set up to look after Thalassaemia and Rare anaemias. The network is led by healthcare professionals, including consultants, nurses, vascular scientist, psychologist and other NHS specialists. We currently care for over 1300 adults and children across 18 NHS Trusts.
Our network covers the West Midlands for patients living with sickle cell disease and the East and West Midlands for patients with thalassaemia and rare inherited anaemias.
Background:
NHS England in 2019 introduced a new three-tiered network model of care for haemoglobinopathy services This three-tiered network model consists of the following teams: HCCs, SHTs and LHTs.
Haemoglobinopathy Coordinating Centres (HCCs)
HCCs organise and run networks for both sickle cell disease and thalassaemia and rare anaemias. Our H CC is a partnership between City hospital, Birmingham, which is run by Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust (SWB NHS Trust) for adult services and Birmingham Children’s Hospital operated by Birmingham Women's and Children's NHS Foundation Trust for children's services .
HCC’s have an explicit role to lead local networks in each area, making sure that each patient‘s care is reviewed annually, that they have access to the specialist services set up to manage their conditions - transcranial doppler scans, MRI’s - and that expert acute medical care is available locally. Our HCC is responsible for supplying administrative support, leadership and education.
Specialist Haemoglobinopathy Teams (SHT’s)
S HT’s provide specialist care across the region as well as managing routine local patient ca seloads . These specialist sites offer services which are not available at other hospitals. For example, they perform MRIs for patients on regular transfusions, specialist ophthalmology and audio assessments along with endocrine clinics and stem cell transplants. Patients with more complex clinical needs are often referred to SHT’s for acute episodes of care - for example for inpatient stays, or for planned operations and surgical procedures.
Within our network there are 4 SHT’s:
Birmingham City Hospital
Birmingham Children’s Hospital
University Hospital Leicester
Nottingham University Hospital
Local Haemoglobinopathy Teams (LHT’s)
LHT’s offer routine and urgent care for patients living with red cell disorders, as close to home as possible. This includes consultant led clinical reviews, hydroxycarbamide clinics, routine outpatient appointments for bloods, cross matches, regular transfusions and emergency presentations and admissions.
Within our Network there are 14 LHT's:
University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire
University Hospitals Birmingham
The Royal Wolverhampton Hospital
Russell's Hall Hospital
Walsall Manor Hospital
Worcester Acute Hospital
Sandwell Hospital
Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust
University Hospital of North Midlands
University Hospital of Leicester
Nottingham University Hospital
Northampton General Hospital
Kettering General Hospital
University Hospitals of Derby and Burton