A new parliamentary report states that the UK stem cell transplant system may endanger blood cancer patients due to weak infrastructure and insufficient long-term planning. Hematopoietic stem cell transplants, also known as bone marrow transplants, involve transferring healthy donor stem cells to patients. This procedure offers vital treatment for blood cancers, blood disorders, and certain autoimmune diseases. Around 4,000 such transplants occur annually in the UK.
The all-party parliamentary group on ethnicity transplantation and transfusion concluded that the current system lacks resilience, sustainability, and fairness while failing to meet patient requirements. In 2024-25, just 24 percent of UK transplants used domestic donors, falling short of the 45 percent target set by the UK Stem Cell Strategic Forum. Overseas donations raise costs and create supply vulnerabilities.
The review also identified major disparities for minority ethnic patients. Individuals from these backgrounds have a 37 percent chance of finding a matched donor, compared with 72 percent for white patients of northern European descent. Bell Ribeiro-Addy, the group chair, called for urgent action to fix gaps in accountability and planning.
Unlike blood and organ donation, no single body oversees stem cell donations, leading to fragmented policy responses. The report urges the government to conduct a full review. Charities including Anthony Nolan and the African Caribbean Leukaemia Trust welcomed the findings and stressed the need for better registry growth in underrepresented regions. The Department of Health and Social Care has been asked for comment.
