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Sickle Cell Diseases

Question for Department of Health

UIN 216527, tabled on 1 December 2014

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much the NHS spends on sickle cell anaemia; and what proportion this is of the total NHS budget.

Answered on

8 December 2014

This answer is a correction from the original answer.

There are an estimated 250,000 people with the sickle cell trait in the United Kingdom. The Department has made no estimation of the annual cost of treating sickle cell anaemia in the National Health Service nor does it hold information on the total NHS spend on sickle cell anaemia.

The Department does hold estimated costs for admitted patient care episodes as reported by Healthcare Resource Groups. In 2013-14 the total estimated figure for sickle anaemia was £23.8 million; in 2012-13 it was £21.9 million. This figure does not include other costs such as primary and social care.

Original answer

There are an estimated 250,000 people with sickle cell anaemia in the United Kingdom. The Department has made no estimation of the annual cost of treating sickle cell anaemia in the National Health Service nor does it hold information on the total NHS spend on sickle cell anaemia.

The Department does hold estimated costs for admitted patient care episodes as reported by Healthcare Resource Groups. In 2013-14 the total estimated figure for sickle anaemia was £23.8 million; in 2012-13 it was £21.9 million. This figure does not include other costs such as primary and social care.