NHS England sickle cell and thalassaemia blood group genotyping test - patient referral and programme extension

Blood group genotyping programme

The NHS England Sickle Cell and Thalassaemia blood group genotyping programme will continue to provide free-of-charge testing to hospitals until 30 June 2025.

Patients not yet referred

Please check your patient lists and submit samples for those patients not yet referred to the programme.

Programme extension

We are working closely with NHS England to secure additional funding to support testing beyond June 2025. We will update you as soon as we can.

Guidance for submitting a sample

Please refer to the guidance when submitting samples ensuring referral forms are fully complete, consented and the sample tube is signed and dated.

Monthly sample and referral data

If you would like a list of patients whose samples have been received, accepted or rejected from your hospital, please email Transfusion@nhsbt.nhs.uk providing the hospital(s) name and the email address of a named Consultant, or clinical lead.

Rejection reports

We are processing samples and referrals as soon we receive them and making the rejection reports available on Sp-ICE.

Genotyping results reporting

Our teams are working to issue results as soon as possible. We will notify the relevant teams in hospitals before issuing genotyping reports. 

Genomics Programme Team, NHSBT