- Where can I donate my cord blood with The Anthony Nolan Trust Programme?
At present, you can only donate cord blood at King’s College Hospital in South London. There will be more collection centres opening in the near future but at the moment it is the only option.
Please be aware that you can ONLY donate your baby’s cord blood if you are booked for your antenatal care at King’s College Hospital.
The postal address is: King's College Hospital, Denmark Hill, London, SE5 9RS.
- Who do I contact to discuss donating my cord blood?
Please discuss it first with your midwife or doctor.
You can also contact:
Terie Duffy, Midwife Cord Blood Co-ordinator at King’s Collage Hospital Terie Duffy with her patient
on: 020 3299 5623 or email terie.duffy@kingsch.nhs.uk
For more information contact:
the King’s College Hospital Patient Advice and Liaison Team (PALS) on 020 3299 3601.
- What will happen if I decide to donate?
If you agree to donate your cord blood you will be asked to sign a consent form before labour. Once your baby has been born, a doctor or midwife will collect the blood contained, the placenta and umbilical cord, using a special needle which is connected to a sterile bag. This procedure takes only a few minutes and happens after the cord has been clamped and cut following your baby’s birth.
- Can I sign consent shortly before labour?
Yes as long as you can demonstrate a thorough understanding of the principles of our programme while talking to our midwife.
Collecting the blood from your baby’s cord is painless and produces no known risk.
- What happens with the donated cord blood?
After collection, the cord blood will be transported to our Cord Blood Bank in Nottingham, processed and analysed to ascertain tissue type. It will then be stored until needed.
Cord blood contains high levels of stem cells that can regenerate bone marrow and cells that can help regenerate the immune system. About 8,000 cord blood transplants have been performed worldwide for diseases including leukaemia, lymphoma, thalassaemia and anaemia. If the level of stem cells in the cord blood is sufficiently high it will be stored for transplantation.
If the level of stem cells is not sufficiently high the cord blood will be used for research that has been approved by the hospital's Ethics Committee.
- And if I have more questions?
Click here to download the leaflet
Click on the icon (left) to download the King’s College Ho Presentation at King's
spital leaflet.
Presentations on cord blood donation for women having their baby at King’s are held every Monday at 5 pm and every Thursday at 7.30 pm in the Skills and Drills room, Women’s Services, 4th floor, Golden Jubilee Wing, King’s College Hospital. Please call 020 3299 5623 for confirmation before you come.
Alternatively contact:
- King’s College Hospital,Terie Duffy, Midwife Cord Blood Co-ordinator
020 3299 5623 or Terie.duffy@kingsch.nhs.uk
- The Anthony Nolan Trust on 020 7284 8256
