Clinical haematology

Clinical Haematology is a broad specialty that treats people for blood disorders such as leukaemia and lymphoma but also supports patients with non-malignant diseases.

Services provided

The clinical haematology department caters for patients with diseases of the blood, both malignant and non-malignant, and provides comprehensive diagnostic services and continuing management to these patients. For some malignant conditions, this may include the patient having an autologous stem cell transplant.

Haematologists are experts in diseases of the blood. Clinical haematologists look after patients on the wards and treat them. The most common groups of disease we treat are the leukaemias (cancer of the white blood cells), and lymphomas (cancer of the lymphatic system). We also manage some forms of anaemia, such as sickle cell anaemia and thalassaemia and deal with disorders of blood clotting.

The Gloucestershire Haematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Service, which is part of the department of clinical haematology at our hospitals, has received internationally-recognised accreditation for the adult autologous stem cell transplant programme by JACIE (Joint Accreditation Committee for the International Society for Cellular Therapy and the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation).

JACIE inspectors conducted an on-site evaluation of the ward and outpatient facility at Cheltenham General Hospital as well as the outpatient facility at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital. Accreditation is attained through evaluation of submitted documentation as well as the on-site inspections to determine if an organisation is in compliance with current JACIE standards. 

JACIE standards are defined by leading experts based on the latest knowledge of the field of cellular therapy. It has been shown that outcomes for patients are better in organisations with accredited services than those without.

Clinical haematology works very much as a team. The team regularly talk through every aspect of a patient’s care. Treatment plans for patients are also discussed with all the haematology experts.

We aim to provide high quality care with consideration given to individual patient needs. Specialist diagnostic services and therapy are available within the department.

Outpatient services

The department provides the following outpatient services:

  • suspected cancer service
  • lymphoma clinic (Gloucestershire Royal Hospital)
  • myeloma clinic (Gloucestershire Royal Hospital)
  • myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN) clinic (Gloucestershire Royal Hospital)
  • general haematology clinic (Cheltenham General and Gloucestershire Royal Hospitals)
  • transplant and transfusion clinic (Cheltenham General Hospital)

If you are a new patient you will be seen in one of our new patient clinics usually in Cheltenham, and then placed into the right clinic for your condition following any necessary investigations, or discharged back to your GP.

Each specialist clinic is run by a multi-disciplinary team of clinicians who will be able to provide expert advice and treatment for your condition.

Inpatient and day case services

Inpatient and day case services are based at:

Clinical Nurse Specialists

Joanna Stokes - Advanced Nurse Practitioner/ Lead Nurse for Haematology. Specialist areas of practice Myeloma and MPN

Lisa Daniels - Clinical Nurse Specialist. Specialist areas of practice- Acute Leukaemia, MDS and MPN

Michele Wheeler - Clinical Nurse Specialist. Specialist area of practice- Lymphoma

Claire Harvey - Clinical Nurse Specialist. Specialist area of practice- Autologous Transplant Coordinator and Myeloma

Ellen Baker- Specialist Nurse – Myeloma

Michelle Gibson - Specialist Nurse- Lymphoma

How to find us

If your appointment is at the LINC Centre at Cheltenham General Hospital:

Cheltenham General Hospital
Sandford Road
Cheltenham
Gloucestershire
GL53 7AN

Phone: 0300 422 2868
View a map of Cheltenham General Hospital