The Centre for Clinical Haematology has undergone a transformative expansion to give patients better access to lifesaving treatments.

The Centre (CCH), on the University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (UHB) site, reopened on 8 January 2018 following a £3.4m refurbishment.

It will:

• Create two additional clinic rooms
• Provide two more phlebotomy chairs; with apheresis moved to provide two more treatment chairs
• Increase the Trust’s infusion capacity by another 24 chairs
• Bring clinical facilities under one roof to enhance the patient experience and provide capacity to look at changing some inpatient care to an outpatient setting

In addition, the expansion project has pledged to create 75 new jobs, with some of these posts already filled.

The expansion has been possible thanks to funding from the Greater Birmingham & Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership (GBSLEP), Cure Leukaemia and the Trust.

It fulfils a vision to create a centre of excellence for clinical haematology which combines outpatient and day infusion facilities along with improved access to clinical and research teams when available standard treatments have been exhausted. 

Professor Charlie Craddock, CBE, Director of the centre, said: “The expansion will allow the continued growth of our world-class clinical trials programme, ensuring Birmingham will continue to lead the global fight against all forms of blood cancer.

“It will immediately increase the number of lives saved and will speed the process towards establishing effective treatments for all blood cancers within 25 years.”

The centre was established in 2006 and has since treated over 10,000 patients, run more than 60 ground-breaking clinical trials and leveraged over £30 million of free drugs that would otherwise not be funded by the NHS. The expansion will allow these numbers to continue to grow, as well as creating jobs and support inward investment into Birmingham’s thriving Life Sciences sector.

Blood cancer charity Cure Leukaemia made a commitment to raising an additional £1m in 2017 to ensure the Centre’s expansion was fully funded.

Former England, Crystal Palace, Wolves and Nottingham Forest Footballer, blood cancer survivor and Cure Leukaemia Patron Geoff Thomas said: “I and three other amateur cyclists rode 10,400km last year as we took on all three grand cycling tours to raise funds towards this appeal. The 3 Tours Challenge was just one of the hundreds that took place to raise funds for this centre, which saved my life back in 2003.

“I opened the centre in 2006 and I am immensely proud to have played a part in this inspirational project.”