UK Government Invests £4 Million in Cord Blood

The UK government has announced that it will be spending £4 million to fund cord blood services across the country. The investment will allow the National Health Blood and Transplant Department and the Anthony Nolan charity to increase cord blood collections in the United Kingdom.

Increased cord blood collection volume will ultimately benefits patients across the country who are suffering from blood diseases and other conditions that are treatable with cord blood stem cells. With more cord blood units in the national registry, an increased number of patients will be able to find stem cell matches more quickly, allowing for more effective treatment.

Three major steps will take place in order to put the plan to action. Firstly, NHS and Anthony Nolan will consolidate their donor registries. This will give doctors access to over 700 000 donor samples in one place, making it easier to find donors for their patients. Next, Anthony Nolan will receive a contract from the Department of Health.

Finally, the remaining £2 million will be spent on launching initiatives to help promote cord blood banking across the United Kingdom. Collection services will be increased at five different collection sites and a brand new cord blood collection facility will be opened.

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