Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the annual cost to the NHS of treating sickle cell anaemia.

There are an estimated 250,000 people with the sickle cell trait in the United Kingdom. The Department has made no estimation of the annual cost of treating sickle cell anaemia in the National Health Service nor does it hold information on the total NHS spend on sickle cell anaemia.

The Department does hold estimated costs for admitted patient care episodes as reported by Healthcare Resource Groups. In 2013-14 the total estimated figure for sickle anaemia was £23.8 million; in 2012-13 it was £21.9 million. This figure does not include other costs such as primary and social care.