Welcome to the Haemophilia centre. We are the comprehensive care centre for people with bleeding disorders for the whole of East Anglia. We are internationally renowned for our services and participation in research.
The Haemophilia Centre is dedicated to providing specialist care locally, regionally and nationally to adults, children and their families diagnosed with haemophilia A, haemophilia B, Von Willebrands disease, acquired haemophilia and other rare forms of inherited clotting disorders.
We provide a specialist comprehensive range of clinical, laboratory, support and advisory services to patients and their families including other healthcare professionals within the hospital, inpatient, outpatient and community settings.
The aim of the service is to enable patients with haemophilia and other clotting disorders to live as normal a life as possible, by ensuring optimal treatment of their medical, physical and psychosocial needs including management of their lifelong disorder.
We work very closely with the specialist laboratory, testing samples on people with bleeding problems to help aid diagnosis.
We are able to register patients for MyChart, which is a system linked to EPIC (the patient electronic medical records). You are able to see letters, appointments, results and other medical information and are able to message non-urgent queries. Please ask if you would like to sign up to MyChart.
Our services
Our services include:
- emergency treatment of bleeds
- regular assessments, reviews and screening
- physiotherapy
- dedicated specialist adult and paediatric nurses
- genetic testing and counselling
- investigation of patients with bleeding disorders
- educational support for patients and carers
- support and counselling
- information and advice for health care professionals, employers and schools
- participation in clinical research
- specialist haemostasis laboratory
- home delivery services
Clinics
We run a clinic for adult patients on a Monday and Tuesday mornings from 09:30 – 12:30 each week.
Monday to Friday from 08:30 – 16:30 we have drop in clinics for both adults and children with more urgent problems or bleeding episodes.
We also offer telephone advice Monday to Friday from 08:30 – 16:30 when our Specialist Nurses are available to talk to you.
Paediatric clinics
The paediatric clinic runs every Wednesday morning from 09:30 – 12:30.
Should your child have any planned surgery or dental procedures please discuss with the haemophilia team so an appropriate plan of care can be devised. We advise that any routine vaccinations are given subcutaneously if a child is suspected of having a bleeding disorder.
Wards
If you have a bleeding problem that requires admission to hospital, adult patients would usually be admitted to ward D9, U3 or C10. These are the haematology wards.
The Haematology Day Unit has capacity for iron infusion and factor administration over the weekend also. Adult patients who are admitted for surgery would be cared for on the appropriate surgical ward for that speciality with daily input from the haemophilia team.
Paediatric wards
If your child has a bleeding problem that requires admission to hospital, they would usually be admitted to ward C2, which covers haematology, however they may be cared for on any of our paediatric wards. Visiting times can vary so please get in touch with a member of the team.
Children will usually be admitted to F3 prior to surgery, and should your child need further support from the community team, these details will be given to you on discharge.
Emergency treatment
If you require emergency treatment for a bleed, please follow the advice on the leaflet included in your welcome pack, on what to do if you have a bleed Monday- Friday, 08:30 -16:30 and outside of these hours.
Access to other support services
In the hospital we do not have any access to social service help or help with benefits.
You should ask your local citizen’s advice centre for guidance.
If you are claiming for disability allowance we will be happy to complete relevant sections about your bleeding disorder and how it affects your day to day living.
We do have the ability to support the GP services with referring adults for local psychiatry support.
We offer interpreters through our language line.
We also have chaplains in the hospital for spiritual support.
For any complaints we have patient advice and liaison service (PALS) situated in the hospital near the main entrance. For any positive feedback or suggestions we have a comments box in the corridor which is managed by the hospital and not the haemophilia centre.
Travel and holidays
It is important if you are on regular prophylaxis, that you notify us if you are going on holiday, so that we can provide you with a letter to facilitate your movement through airport security.
The Haemophilia Centre locator website (opens in a new tab) will provide you with further information on the nearest haemophilia centre- whether it is a day trip, UK break or adventure across the world.
Recording treatment at home
It is very important that all products used for prophylaxis and on demand treatment are recorded for home use. This enables us to monitor clotting factor usage for prophylaxis and bleeds and helps us to manage your care.
Haemtrack is an internet based recording system. Please register on the Haemtrack website (opens in a new tab), even if you or your children are not on regular prophylaxis at the moment, but will be using home treatment in the future.
When registering, you will need to register with the Cambridge Haemophilia Centre.
If you do not have access to the internet, please ask us for paper treatment sheets that will need to be returned to us on a monthly basis.
We look forward to confirming your registration request and to reviewing your treatments on Haemtrack. Please look at the variety of leaflets available in our waiting room or ask us for information that you would like to have. If you require any further assistance or advice, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Clinical trials
We take an active part in clinical trials for patients. If you might be eligible for a trial we will write to you or talk to you in clinic and send you further information.
Please feel free to ask us about the trials we have running or let us know if you would be interested in being involved with trials.
Changing/cancelling an appointment
If you cannot attend your clinic appointment, please call the haemophilia secretary in advance so we can offer the appointment to another patient.
Key staff
- Dr Emily Symington Consultant Haematologist (Haemophilia Centre Director)
- Dr William Thomas Consultant Haematologist
- Dr Jessica Griffin Consultant Haematologist
- Manjumol Aji Adult Clinical Nurse Specialist
- Ana Pinho Almeida Adult Specialist Support Nurse
- Susannah Beniston Adult Specialist Support Nurse
- Dr Mike Gattens Consultant Paediatric Haematologist
- Dr Emmy Dickens Consultant Paediatric Haematologist
- Dr Arun Mahendrayogam Consultant Paediatric Haematologist
- Dr Thomas McGrath Consultant Paediatric Haematologist
- Jo Crowe Paediatric Clinical Nurse Specialist
- Joe Fox Paediatric Specialist Support Nurse
- Beth Bradshaw Adult Physiotherapist
- Kerrie Langham Paediatric Physiotherapist
Useful websites
- The Haemophilia Society (opens in a new tab) - This society provides help and support for people with Haemophilia, and a range of other inherited bleeding disorders. They have a very informative website, and it is free to join.
- Haemophilia centre locator (opens in a new tab)
- Haemtrack v2 (opens in a new tab)
- World Federation of Haemophilia (opens in a new tab)
- United Kingdom Haemophilia Centre Doctors Organisation (opens in a new tab)
- The Platelet Society (opens in a new tab)
- NHS Healthy Living (opens in a new tab)