Key facts
- A report by the APPG on ethnicity transplantation and transfusion states the UK's stem cell transplant system is potentially putting lives at risk.
- The system is described as not resilient, sustainable, nor equitable.
- Patients from minority ethnic backgrounds have a 37% chance of finding a well-matched donor, compared to 72% for white patients.
- Only 24% of stem cell transplants in 2024-25 used UK donors, falling short of the recommended 45%.
- Unlike blood and organ donations, no single organization is responsible for stem cell donations.
- The APPG recommended a government review of the UK's stem cell system.
A report by the all-party parliamentary group (APPG) on ethnicity transplantation and transfusion has found that the UK's stem cell transplant system is potentially endangering the lives of blood cancer patients due to inadequate infrastructure and a lack of long-term planning. The system is described as no longer resilient, sustainable, nor equitable.
A key issue identified is the low proportion of transplants using UK donors, with only 24% in 2024-25, significantly below the recommended 45%. This reliance on overseas donations increases costs and introduces supply chain risks. Furthermore, the report highlights severe health inequalities faced by patients from minority-ethnic backgrounds, who have only a 37% chance of finding a well-matched donor compared to 72% for white patients of northern European background.
Bell Ribeiro-Addy, chair of the APPG, expressed urgent concerns about the system's fitness for the future, pointing to serious gaps in accountability, planning, and fairness, particularly for minority ethnic and mixed heritage patients. The report also noted the absence of a single responsible organization for stem cell donations, unlike blood and organ donations, leading to slower and more scattered policy changes.
Charities like Anthony Nolan and the African Caribbean Leukaemia Trust (ACLT) have corroborated the report's findings, emphasizing the ongoing inequity in donor access for minority ethnic patients. Campaigners state that these disparities have devastating consequences for individuals and families affected by blood cancer.