Essex sickle cell and thalassaemia service offer a range of services to ‘at risk’ couples, families with children affected with sickle cell and thalassemia and/ other unusual haemoglobin variant.

The service ensures mechanisms are in place to ensure linkage of both antenatal and newborn screening results and to ensure effective monitoring of the service. The service works alongside the newborn screening laboratories for coordination and management of affected and carrier results for sickle cell and thalassemia in line with the Essex screening pathway.

The service provides and delivers specialised education and training resources to community health staff, hospital staff and other agencies involved in the antenatal and newborn screening for sickle cell and thalassaemia. The service provides an evidenced based specialist nursing service, with effective clinical leadership, offering counselling, support and signposting.

The service works in partnership with multidisciplinary staff, both in acute and community services, to develop effective links across providers in providing a seamless screening service for sickle cell and thalassemia.