Haemophilia and Haemoglobinopathy Service

The Haemophilia/Bleeding Disorder (HBD) and Haemoglobinopathy (HBO) Services are part of the Non-Malignant Haematology Service at Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Our HBD service cares for adults with inherited bleeding disorders, including haemophilia, rare clotting factor deficiencies, platelet disorders such as Bernard-Soulier syndrome and Glanzmann thrombasthenia, and immune thrombocytopenia (ITP). We provide care for people living in Bradford, Airedale and Halifax.

Our HBO service supports adults with sickle cell disorder, thalassaemia and other inherited blood conditions.

Our aim is to help people with lifelong blood conditions stay as healthy and independent as possible. We support patients to understand their condition, make informed decisions about their care and live full and active lives.

Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNSs) play an important role in coordinating care and supporting patients and families. We work closely with consultants and other healthcare professionals across hospital, community and specialist services to ensure care is joined up and tailored to individual needs.

We also work with specialist centres, including Leeds, Manchester, Sheffield and London, when patients need highly specialised treatment or advice.

We are often the first point of contact for patients and their families and can provide information, support and guidance throughout their care.

We support patients by:

• explaining their condition and treatment options in a clear and personalised way
• helping them recognise and manage symptoms promptly
• supporting pain management and treatment plans
• advising on healthy lifestyles and long-term wellbeing
• arranging referrals to other specialists when needed, such as physiotherapy, dental care, psychology or other hospital services
• providing training for home treatment where appropriate
• offering support during important life events such as starting school, work, pregnancy or transition to adult services.

Our service recognises that every patient is different, and we aim to provide care that respects individual circumstances, culture, beliefs and preferences.

The Haemophilia/Bleeding Disorder (HBD) and Haemoglobinopathy (HBO) Services are provided by a specialist multidisciplinary team that includes consultants, clinical nurse specialists, administrative staff and a range of health professionals.

Patients are seen in regular outpatient clinics, and we also provide telephone advice during working hours for urgent concerns, treatment queries and general support.

We work closely with pharmacy teams to arrange treatment supplies, including home delivery services where appropriate.

The team also works with many other hospital departments, such as Emergency Department, surgery, endoscopy, ENT, gynaecology, orthopaedics and dental services, to ensure patients receive safe and effective care during illness, surgery or medical procedures.

We provide education and advice to healthcare staff across the hospital to improve awareness and management of these rare blood conditions.

In recent years we have continued to develop our services to improve the support available to patients and families.

We have strengthened access to psychological support for people with haemoglobinopathy conditions, helping patients with emotional wellbeing and mental health.

We have also delivered awareness and education events for hospital staff and the local community to improve understanding of inherited blood conditions and encourage timely referral to specialist services.

Clearer pathways for urgent and out-of-hours care have been introduced, and we continue to improve communication with patients so they know how to contact the team when they need advice or support.