Sickle Cell Awareness day 19th June 2020
OSCAR Sandwell is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: OSCAR Sandwell World Sickle Cell Day 2020
Time: Jun 19, 2020 02:00 PM London
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us04web.zoom.us/j/71934229374…
Meeting ID: 719 3422 9374
Password: OSCAR
Listening to patients with long term conditions
Healthwatch Sandwell are listening to people with Sickle Cell in Sandwell. They have a lot to tell us about their experiences of living with Sickle Cell and using health services particularly when they are suffering from a “Sickle Cell Crisis” which can include intense pain episodes and risk to vital organs. A crisis will often result in an admission to a hospital stay via A&E services or the Sickle Cell & Thalassaemia Centre (SCaT) at City Hospital. Main themes patients tell us about are concerns around pain management and the differing levels of awareness of Sickle Cell disorder by health staff.
OSCAR Sandwell support people with Sickle Cell Anaemia and Thalassaemia.
The ScaT centre at City Hospital provide specific day care hospital services.
Healthwatch Sandwell, OSCAR Sandwell & the SCaT centre are all working together to gather more patient feedback to help inform training and services for the patient group.
What is Sickle Cell Disorder?
Sickle Cell disease is a group of inherited red blood cell disorders. It is the most common genetic disease in the UK. Over 12,000 individuals have sickle cell disease. Normal red blood cells are round like doughnuts, and they move through small blood tubes in the body to deliver oxygen. Sickle red blood cells become hard, sticky and shaped like sickles used to cut wheat. When these hard and pointed red cells go through the small blood tube, they clog the flow and break apart. This can cause pain, damage and a low blood count, or anaemia.
What makes the red cell sickle?
There is a substance in the red cell called haemoglobin that carries oxygen inside the cell. One little change in this substance causes the haemoglobin to form long rods in the red cell when it gives away oxygen. These rigid rods change the red cell into a sickle shape.
How do you get sickle cell anaemia?
You inherit the abnormal haemoglobin from both parents who may be carriers with sickle cell trait or parents with sickle cell disease. You can not catch it. You are born with the sickle cell haemoglobin and it is present for life.
Is Sickle Cell only in Black Community?
