More than £2m investment for Blood and Marrow Transplantation
The Welsh Health Specialist Services Committee (WHSSC) has announced more than £2m in funding to increase the capacity of Blood and Marrow transplantation services across South Wales.
Blood and marrow transplantation is a technique for the treatment of forms of cancer that begin in the cells of blood-forming tissue, such as the bone marrow, or in the cells of the immune system – otherwise known as haematological malignancies.
Wales has a Blood and Marrow Transplantation Service offering services to the South Wales population for adult transplantation. This is a single service based on two sites in Cardiff and Swansea. There is also a unit offering autologous adult transplantation (where the patient’s own blood cells are treated and returned to the body) in North Wales.
The funding will be used to increase the capacity of the service across both Cardiff and Swansea.
Stuart Davies, Director of Finance at WHSSC said:
“We care greatly about commissioning the highest quality of care for the people of Wales. This additional investment in Blood and Marrow Transplantation Services will ensure that patients receive the best possible care. ”
With approximately 130 patients expected to receive a Blood and Marrow Transplant during 2016-17 – a number which is forecast to grow year on year, the investment will be used to fund two additional beds, 25 Nurses, additional consultant time and six Allied Health Professionals.
Dr Navroz Masani, Clinical Board Director for Specialist Services at Cardiff and Vale University Health Board said:
“The investment from WHSSC will greatly improve the service we provide to our patients at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff. It will mean they have swifter treatment and that we will be able to undertake additional allogeneic donor transplants.
Idris Baker, Clinical Director for Cancer Services at Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board said:
“We are delighted that WHSSC are investing in the Blood and Marrow Transplant Service. The additional investment will mean we can increase the number of autologous transplants we perform each year at Singleton Hospital, Swansea, from 20 to 50.”
