Sickle cell patients have to 'battle for pain relief' in A&E, says APPG chair

The chair of the all-party parliamentary group on sickle cell and thalassaemia, Pat McFadden MP, has said that patients with sickle cell have had to “battle for pain relief” in accident and emergency departments.

Speaking on Monday, when the APPG’s No One’s Listening report into secondary care was published, Mr McFadden told Sky News that there was a “big gulf” in the experiences of patients in specialist blood and general departments.

“Very often, patients had to battle for pain relief, battle a lack of understanding of the condition ... all of that leading to clear failings,” he said.