To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that Integrated Care Boards are (a) adequately resourced and (b) trained to commission effective care pathways for patients with aplastic anaemia.
Answered on
1 July 2025
Working under the UK Rare Diseases Framework, the Government is committed to improving the lives of those living with rare diseases, such as aplastic anaemia.
The majority of the treatment pathway for aplastic anaemia is an integrated care board commissioning responsibility. Hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) is an NHS England specialised commissioned service that covers aplastic anaemia, and NHS England has published two national service specifications, one for adults and one for children. The HSCT specifications set out the standards that the providers of the service must meet, which includes access to a range of multidisciplinary staff, including psychological support and nurse specialists trained in communication and counselling.