A recent story about a mother with sickle cell disease who is finally pain free after receiving a half-matched bone marrow transplant is a powerful reminder of why progress for sickle cell patients is so important. The case reflects recent advances in treatment - a January 2026 study published by Brodsky and fellow researchers found that their bone marrow transplant process has an overall 94% disease-free survival rate. Importantly the treatment approach can offer curative treatment for adults with severe sickle cell disease using a ‘half-matched’ donor, such as a parent, sibling or cousin, helping address one of the biggest barriers to transplant access.

Stories like this show us what is possible, but they also remind us how far there is to go. It was less than five years ago that the No One’s Listening report exposed the many ways people with sickle cell were being failed by the UK health system, from delays in pain relief to poor care in A&E and on general wards. Since then there has been progress - not least by the work of the Universal Care Plan (UCP), who, aided by The PSC, have incorporated sickle cell care plans into the platform where they can be accessed by clinicians across London.

The PSC worked with the UCP team & clinicians across London to design a digital solution that would enable care plans for sickle cell patients to be incorporated onto the UCP platform. This means that clinicians can access these plans through the London Care Record, local Electronic Patient Records (EPRs) and the UCP portal, helping ensure that people’s needs and pain relief protocols are visible across the system when it matters most. We ensured that designs were flexible enough to accommodate different treatment protocols, testing these with front line clinicians, and created accompanying resources to raise awareness and support staff. 

In the last 2 years over 8,000 sickle cell care plans have been created on the UCP system (>80% of London’s patients), helping to ensure that patients receive timely pain relief no matter who is treating them and where. Whilst this latest research breakthrough raises hopes of widespread curative treatment, better coordinated care is already within reach.

The PSC is a specialist management consultancy dedicated to making public services brilliant. If you would like to find out more about how we can support you with designing digital solutions that deliver true value to both patients and clinicians, please get in touch with Fiona Jamieson or Phil Buckley - we'd love to chat.