Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the report <i>Destination Cure</i>; and whether they plan to support the calls for a stem cell donor for every person who needs one, a successful transplant for every blood cancer patient, and the right post-transplant care for every patient who needs it.

The Government remains committed to improving stem cell transplantation services and doing all we can to help those in need of a transplant to find a suitable donor.

Since 2011, the Department has provided our delivery partners, NHS Blood and Transplant and the Anthony Nolan (formerly the Anthony Nolan Trust), a total of £16 million in additional new funding to improve stem cell transplantation services in the United Kingdom. A further £3 million investment was announced in March 2015.

This funding has led to a tangible improvement in the availability of stem cells in the UK and the achievements include:

1. More UK patients received a stem cell transplant in 2014 than ever before;
2. Over 60% of black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) patients are now able to find a well matched donor compared to only 40% in 2010;
3. A single unified bone marrow donor registry has been created streamlining the provision of stem cells and reducing the time to provide cells from adult donors;
4. The proportion of patients receiving cord blood from UK donors has significantly increased; and

5. An increase in UK patients receiving a transplant from 802 in 2010/11 to 1060 in 2013/14. The increased use of UK-sourced stem cells has meant that more donors than ever are available to donate leading to a significant cost saving by reducing the need to import stem cells.

The report ‘Destination Cure – arriving at a better future’ from Anthony Nolan is a timely contribution to the debate on the future of this work.