Hematology Department

The Hematology unit is the part of the network devoted to the blood and the organs that make it — the bone marrow, lymph nodes and spleen. It brings together haematologists, specialist nurses, a dedicated chemotherapy and cellular-therapy setting, and the laboratory, pathology and imaging services that blood medicine relies on, so that the diagnosis and treatment of blood disorders are planned and delivered as one programme. For an international patient, the unit is the place to turn for an abnormal blood count, an unexplained anaemia, easy bruising or bleeding, swollen lymph nodes, or a suspected or confirmed blood cancer — and the team that will review such a case remotely, often urgently, before any travel is arranged.

What the hematology unit does

Haematology is the medicine of blood. The blood carries oxygen, fights infection and stops bleeding, and the unit cares for the full range of conditions in which any of these systems goes wrong. Its work divides broadly into two related fields. Benign (non-cancerous) haematology covers anaemias, bleeding and clotting disorders, and inherited conditions of the red cells. Malignant haematology, or haemato-oncology, covers the blood cancers — the leukaemias, lymphomas and myeloma — which the unit treats with chemotherapy, immunotherapy, targeted drugs and, where appropriate, stem-cell (bone-marrow) transplantation in partnership with the transplantation programme.

Across both fields, the unit’s strength lies in precise diagnosis. Modern blood medicine depends on detailed laboratory analysis — examining the cells, their genetics and the proteins they produce — to identify exactly which disorder is present and to choose the treatment most likely to work. Gathering the haematologists, the specialist laboratory and the treatment facilities in one coordinated unit is what allows this depth, so that a patient receives a diagnosis defined to the level that today’s therapies require.

Conditions the hematology unit treats

The unit cares for a wide spectrum of blood and bone-marrow conditions, including:

• Anaemias of all kinds, from iron, vitamin B12 and folate deficiency to anaemias caused by chronic disease or by problems in the bone marrow itself.
• Leukaemias — acute and chronic cancers of the white blood cells — managed as coordinated treatment programmes.
• Lymphomas — Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin — diagnosed and treated alongside pathology and radiation oncology.
• Multiple myeloma and related plasma-cell disorders.
• Myeloproliferative and myelodysplastic conditions, disorders of how the bone marrow produces blood cells.
• Bleeding disorders, including haemophilia and other clotting-factor deficiencies and platelet disorders.
• Thrombosis and clotting disorders — a tendency to form clots — assessed and managed, often with the relevant medical and surgical teams.
• Inherited red-cell disorders such as thalassaemia and sickle-cell disease, including screening, genetic counselling with the medical genetics team, and long-term management.
• Low or abnormal blood counts of unclear cause, investigated thoroughly to find the underlying reason.

For each, the unit’s aim is an exact diagnosis followed by the treatment best matched to it, delivered with the supportive care that blood disorders require.

Diagnosis and tests

Diagnosis in haematology begins with the blood count and the blood film — looking at the numbers and the appearance of the cells under the microscope — and extends into some of the most sophisticated testing in medicine. Where the bone marrow is involved, the unit performs a bone-marrow examination, taking a small sample for detailed analysis. On these samples and on blood, the laboratory applies specialised techniques: flow cytometry to identify the precise type of cell, cytogenetic and molecular testing to read the genetic changes that define many blood cancers, and coagulation studies to investigate bleeding and clotting. Lymph-node and tissue biopsies, examined by specialist haematopathologists, establish the diagnosis in lymphoma.

Imaging completes the picture: CT, MRI and, for many lymphomas, PET-CT from the nuclear medicine unit show the extent of disease and how it responds to treatment. Because these tests must fit together to produce a single, actionable diagnosis, the unit’s close link with the laboratory, pathology and imaging is one of its defining features.

Treatments and procedures

Treatment is matched closely to the diagnosis. In benign haematology, much of the work is medical and supportive: correcting deficiencies, managing inherited anaemias with transfusion and modern therapies, treating bleeding disorders with the appropriate factor replacement, and managing clotting disorders with carefully monitored anticoagulation.

In malignant haematology, the unit delivers the full range of modern cancer treatment in a dedicated setting:

• Chemotherapy, given in a purpose-built day unit by specialist nurses.
• Immunotherapy and targeted therapies, including the antibody and small-molecule drugs that have transformed the treatment of many blood cancers.
• Radiotherapy where indicated, planned with the radiation oncology unit.
• Stem-cell (bone-marrow) transplantation — both autologous (using the patient’s own cells) and allogeneic (from a donor) — delivered through the transplantation programme with the intensive monitoring and isolation these treatments require.
• Transfusion and supportive care, including the management of infection risk and other complications, which is central to safe treatment.

Treatment decisions in blood cancer are made within a multidisciplinary team, so that chemotherapy, transplantation, radiotherapy and supportive care are coordinated as a single plan rather than a series of separate steps.

The multidisciplinary team

Blood disorders touch many specialties, and the hematology unit works as part of a wider team. Blood cancers are managed alongside radiation oncology and the broader oncology programme; transplantation delivers stem-cell transplants; pathology provides the specialised analysis that defines each diagnosis; nuclear medicine supplies PET-CT for staging; infectious diseases helps manage the infection risk that comes with treatment; and medical genetics supports the diagnosis and counselling of inherited conditions. Within the unit, specialist haematology and chemotherapy nurses, pharmacists and coordinators are essential to safe, attentive care. For each patient with a blood cancer, these specialists meet to agree the plan together.

Technology and facilities

The unit is built around a specialised haematology laboratory — flow cytometry, cytogenetics and molecular diagnostics — together with a dedicated chemotherapy day unit, transfusion services, and, through the transplantation programme, the isolation and monitoring facilities a stem-cell transplant demands. Imaging and PET-CT support staging and response assessment. As throughout the network, this equipment is operated by teams who use it daily and maintained to strict standards, which is what makes advanced blood medicine dependable.

What to expect as an international patient

For a patient travelling from abroad, the unit is structured to handle what is often an anxious and time-sensitive situation. Your case is first reviewed remotely from your existing blood counts, marrow or biopsy reports and imaging, so the team can advise how urgent matters are, whether travel is needed, and what to arrange. On arrival, you can expect a thorough assessment, a clear explanation of your diagnosis and of the realistic options, and a written plan agreed with you. An international patient coordinator remains your single point of contact throughout, helping with scheduling, language and the practical side of your stay, and ensuring that every unit your care involves — pathology, transplantation, radiation oncology — is engaged from the start.

Because blood treatments often run over weeks or months, the unit also plans for continuity: what can be done here, what can safely be continued at home, and how the team will stay in contact for follow-up.

Remote review before you travel

You do not need to travel to begin, and with blood disorders an early remote review is especially valuable. Much of the diagnosis lives in documents — the blood count, the marrow or biopsy report, the genetic and flow-cytometry results and the imaging — which can be shared and reviewed by a haematologist before any decision is made. The unit can confirm or refine a diagnosis, advise whether further tests are needed, and outline the likely plan, timeline and cost. A remote second opinion is also available if you would like an expert view on a diagnosis or on whether a proposed treatment is the right one for you.

Quality and standards

Blood medicine demands precision and rigorous safety, and the unit works to defined clinical protocols, draws on accredited laboratory and pathology services, and contributes to the hospital’s overall safety systems — infection control and medication safety being especially critical during chemotherapy and transplantation. Accreditation such as JCI applies at hospital level and reflects how well these systems work across its units. When considering treatment, it is reasonable to ask about a unit’s experience in your specific condition and how it measures its results; an experienced haematology team will welcome these questions.

When to see a haematologist

A haematology opinion is worth seeking for a blood count that is abnormal or has changed over time; for anaemia that is unexplained or does not respond to treatment; for unusual bruising, bleeding or clotting; for persistently swollen lymph nodes; for unexplained weight loss, fevers or night sweats; or for a suspected or confirmed blood cancer. With many blood disorders, an early and precise diagnosis materially affects what treatment can achieve, so timely referral matters.

Supportive care during treatment

Treating a blood disorder well is not only about the main therapy; it is also about the care that keeps a patient safe and comfortable while that therapy does its work. The hematology unit places great weight on this supportive care. During chemotherapy or after a transplant, the immune system can be weakened, so the unit manages infection risk closely in partnership with the infectious diseases team, advises on precautions, and treats complications early. Transfusions of red cells or platelets are given when needed, anaemia and bleeding are managed, and medicines are used to control nausea, protect against infection and support blood-cell recovery. The unit also attends to the wider effects of treatment — nutrition, fatigue and emotional wellbeing — drawing on dietitians, specialist nurses and psychological support, and discusses fertility preservation with younger patients before treatment begins where that is relevant. For international patients, this means that the demanding parts of blood-cancer treatment are surrounded by experienced, attentive care at every hour, not only during time with the doctor. Much of this supportive care can also be planned so that, where it is safe, parts of it continue under local supervision after you return home, with the unit remaining available for advice. Good supportive care is one of the quieter reasons that experienced units achieve better, safer outcomes.

This page is for general information and does not constitute medical advice, a diagnosis or a treatment recommendation. The units and services available vary between hospitals in the network; please confirm details for the unit proposed for your care, and always consult a qualified clinician about your situation.