The Emergency Sickle Cell Day Unit at the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel was established as a specialist frontline service to support people living with sickle cell disease — a life-threatening genetic blood condition that affects thousands across the UK. Designed to provide rapid, expert emergency care, the unit allowed patients experiencing acute pain crises — often dismissed or mismanaged in standard A&E settings — to receive treatment quickly and compassionately from clinicians with specialist expertise.

Despite overwhelming support from patients, families, and clinicians, and a community petition gathering tens of thousands of signatures, the unit was closed in January 2026 at the end of a six-month pilot. Campaigners argued that this specialist provision significantly improved patient experiences and outcomes by offering timely intervention that general emergency departments often fail to provide.

The closure took place even as an Early Day Motion in Parliament — supported by MPs from multiple parties — highlighted the serious risks posed by removing dedicated sickle cell emergency care and urged the Government and NHS to develop a national strategy for specialised services.

Early Day Motions

Critics of the decision point out that closing the unit without a clear specialist replacement disproportionately affects communities already facing health inequalities, particularly Black British and global majority patients who are more frequently affected by sickle cell disease.