The specialist emergency sickle cell unit at the Royal London Hospital is set to reopen after The Mirror backed a campaign to stop its closure.

The unit, which was originally introduced as a six-month pilot, provided rapid access to specialist care for people living with sickle cell disease -the fastest-growing genetic condition in the UK.

Primarily affecting people with African or Caribbean family backgrounds in the UK, where around 18,000 people are impacted, red blood cells take on a sickle shaperather than the usual circular form, causing painful blockages that can trigger life-threatening crises and severe complications.

Confirmation of the reopening of the specialist unit was revealed by the Sickle Cell Society, who said: “We are pleased to confirm that the same day emergency care unit at the Royal London Hospital will reopen.”

• Simple 10 minute procedure helps save 50,000 lives in a year

• 'I was treated like drug addict after 12 hours in A&E with devastating disease'

Funding for the service was announced after discussions between the local Integrated Care Board (ICB), the Sickle Cell Society and the red cell clinical team at the Royal London - although a date, the precise details of how the service will operate and its location are yet to be confirmed. The reopened unit is expected to draw on lessons learned from the pilot, to ensure the service has the greatest impact.

Londoner Delo Biye, 48, who has sickle cell, launched a petition to keep the unit open after discovering it was being axed when he attended the hospital for emergency care.

Within days of the unit closing, earlier this year, he experienced a sickle cell crisis and noticed a stark difference in the quality of specialist care.

He told The Mirror: “Two days after the closure I had to go to A&E. I was there for 24 hours and didn’t make it to the ward. I spent 12 painful hours on the blue chairs. The nurses did their best, but they couldn’t get the treatment to me on time. They tried as hard as they could, but they are overloaded.”

Delo says services like the Royal London unit provide vital support that general emergency departments often struggle to deliver.

He continued: “Specialist units like this should exist around the country anywhere where there’s even a small percentage of sickle cell warriors, because they provide things that A&E can’t. ”

The No One’s Listening report, published by a number of organisations including the Sickle Cell Society, in response to 2021 All Party Parliamentary Group findings identifying shocking failings in sickle cell care, prompted the development of specialist facilities like the Royal London unit.

A Sickle Cell Society spokesperson added: “The reopening of this pathway will be reassuring for many patients and families. It also underlines why both local and national pilots need to lead to sustainable services that improve patient experience and health outcomes over the long term.”

Nationally, there are just seven emergency sickle cell bypass units, introduced as part of a two-year NHS England pilot, which is currently under evaluation.

Delo believes his campaign to reopen the Royal London unit was successful largely because of support from media, such as The Mirror, which has helped to raise awareness of sickle cell.

He says: “The media coverage has been essential. Initially, my hopes were to get 1,500 signatures, but with the coverage the petition has gone to people around the world.

“Thank you for letting people see this battle, this struggle so that they can put their weight behind it.

“It’s thanks to The Mirror that pushed it out there, to help us really build a powerful community.”

Patients and campaigners now hope the reopening marks the start of more permanent specialist care for people living with sickle cell across the UK.

Barts Health NHS Trust clarified: “We have got funding to explore alternative pathways for sickle cell patients in crisis.”