Cell collections from blood cancer patients now at Coventry Hospital

People with blood cancer who need a stem cell transplant can now have their cells harvested at Coventry’s main hospital thanks to a new initiative.

NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) nurses will go to the University Hospital to provide the service, avoiding the need for patients to travel elsewhere.

Blood cancer patients have their blood-forming stem cells harvested and then returned to them for treatment.

Stem cells can develop into different types of cells and help the bone marrow recover after it has been damaged by chemotherapy.

Francis Townsend, 67, a retired seamstress and postal worker from Kineton in Warwickshire, harvested her stem cells through the new service.

The cells are stored and then reinfused to help Ms Townsend’s bone marrow recover from the side effects of chemotherapy to treat myeloma, a form of blood cancer.

Without the stem cell treatment to allow her body to grow more red and white blood cells, she would be at greater risk of bleeding and infection, the NHSBT said.

Mrs Townsend, a married mother of three, says she has “a lot more energy now” and feels “much better about myself”.

“The stem cell collection was very good. They just collect it from your blood while you’re sitting there,” she said.

“I needed them back after intensive chemotherapy because my cell levels weren’t good.”

Head of Therapeutic Apheresis Services (Tas) at NHSBT Teresa Baines said the new service was set up from its Birmingham center at Coventry Hospital.

She added that Tas’ strategy is to move treatments closer to patients and that this was “a first example of achieving our goals”.

Consultant haematologist at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust Maria Mushkbar, said the new service was “extremely effective”.

“The transition has definitely simplified our patient journey with an improved patient experience and satisfaction,” she said.