The haemophilia service manages the diagnosis, treatment and care for patients with inherited or acquired bleeding disorders.
These services are located at the haemostasis and thrombosis centre. Children and young adults are managed by our children's haemophilia and haematology service at Evelina London Children's Hospital. Together these centres provide the hub of the South London Adult and Paediatric Haemophilia Network with services at St Georges’ University Hospital and Lewisham University Hospital.
Advice line
The haemophilia nursing and physiotherapy offer a clinical advice line, which is a direct dial telephone line for any clinical queries about inherited bleeding disorders. Patients can also email non-urgent clinical queries.
Our services and clinics
Haemophilia services form an integral part of the comprehensive care centre.
We hold clinics at St Thomas' Hospital and in the community. If you have an urgent bleeding problem related to your condition you can 'walk in' without an appointment. You will be seen by a nurse and/or the physiotherapist in the first instance and where appropriate can be seen by a doctor.
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Bleeding disorder clinics
These clinics are held weekly and provide a holistic consultant led clinical review with physiotherapy, nursing and psychosocial support. This allows the opportunity for a thorough review of patients’ clinical needs. It will include discussion and management of your condition, treatment plans, assessment of other conditions and the impact on your health and wellbeing.
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Dental services
All patients with bleeding disorders are encouraged to register with a local dentist. Patients who need complex oral surgery such as root canal work or dental extractions can be seen at our dental services.
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Diagnostic clinics for bleeding disorders
GPs or other hospitals can refer patients to this clinic for assessment of any suspected bleeding disorders. Patients who are diagnosed with a bleeding disorder will be registered at St Thomas’ haemophillia service.
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Emergency and out-of-hours services
If you have an urgent clinical problem outside of normal clinical hours (9am to 6pm, Monday to Friday apart from bank holidays), please call the hospital switchboard on 020 7188 7188 and ask for the on-call haematology registrar.
We recommend, where possible, patients call the haemophilia centre or the out of hours haemophilia service for advice before going to an emergency department (A&E).
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Genetic counselling
All of our haemophilia consultants are experienced in genetic counselling for bleeding disorders. This aspect of care is delivered through the various clinics run by the haemophilia services. Patients can be referred to the clinical genetics department at Guy’s Hospital and can also be referred to the haemophilia service psychology team.
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HIV clinic
All patients with a bleeding disorder and HIV infection are managed and reviewed in the combined HIV/bleeding disorder clinic. This runs monthly on a Tuesday afternoon by a consultant haematologist and an HIV consultant.
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Liver clinic
All patients with bleeding disorders and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, chronic liver disease including cirrhosis are reviewed in the combined hepatology/bleeding disorder clinic.
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Orthopaedic clinic
This clinic manages all patients with a bleeding disorder who may require further investigation, surgery or other invasive interventions for a musculoskeletal condition, related or unrelated to their underlying bleeding disorder.
All patients with significant bleeding disorders are strongly advised that any orthopaedic surgery should be undertaken under the supervision of the centre. It is strongly recommended that all surgical assessments are managed by this clinic.
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Transition clinics
As there are both children's services at Evelina London Children's Hospital and adult services at St Thomas’ Hospital we hold regular monthly clinics to transition patients from children to adult care.
The transition clinic between Evelina London and St Thomas' Hospital is supported by both the children's and adult bleeding disorder teams. There is also the potential to be reviewed by a psychologist.
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Women’s bleeding disorder clinics
Women with a bleeding disorder can be referred to this clinic for management of heavy menstrual bleeding, or other gynaecological conditions. Referrals are made by the consultant and could include urgent access to the fetal medicine unit for dating/viability scans and advice relating to invasive and non-invasive pre-natal diagnosis.