UK’s stem cell transplant system may be putting lives at risk, report by MPs finds

The review found that only 24% of stem cell transplants in the UK used a UK donor. Experts say reliance on overseas donors is costly and risks supply chain problems. Photograph: Andrew Brookes/Getty Images/Image Source View image in fullscreen The review found that only 24% of stem cell transplants in the UK used a UK donor. Experts say reliance on overseas donors is costly and risks supply chain problems. Photograph: Andrew Brookes/Getty Images/Image Source UK’s stem cell transplant system may be putting lives at risk, report by MPs finds System not fit for purpose due to poor infrastructure and planning, with minority groups particularly at risk, MPs say The UK’s stem cell transplant system is potentially putting the lives of blood cancer patients at risk as a result of inadequate infrastructure and a lack of long-term planning, a parliamentary report has found. A hematopoietic stem cell transplant, often referred to as a bone marrow transplant, is a medical procedure in which stem cells from a healthy donor are transplanted into a patient. It can be a life-saving treatment for serious diseases such as blood cancer, blood disorders and some auto-immune conditions. About 4,000 stem cell transplants are performed in the UK each year. The report, by the all-party parliamentary group on ethnicity transplantation and transfusion, found that the UK’s stem cell transplant system was not fit for purpose, with the system “no longer resilient, sustainable nor equitable” or meeting patients’ needs. Among the problems was the fact that in 2024-25, only 24% of stem cell transplants in the UK used a UK donor. This is an issue because, according to the UK Stem Cell Strategic Forum expert group, the UK should have a supply of 45% of UK donors. Stem cell donations from overseas cost more than those from UK donors, while also introducing supply chain risks. The review also found that people from minority-ethnic backgrounds who needed a stem cell transplant faced significant health inequalities. People from minority backgrounds have only a 37% chance of getting a well-matched donor compared with 72% of white patients from a northern European background. Bell Ribeiro-Addy, Labour MP for Clapham and Brixton Hill and chair of the APPG, said: “This report raises urgent questions about whether the UK’s stem cell transplant system is truly fit for the future. “Patients with blood cancer and other life-threatening conditions depend on a system that is resilient, properly coordinated and equitable – yet our findings show serious gaps in accountability, planning and fairness. “The inequalities facing minority ethnic and mixed heritage patients are especially alarming. Too many patients are still unable to find a matching donor, and shockingly, we do not even have complete data on how many people are missing out on potentially life-saving transplants.” Another problem the report identified was that, unlike with blood and organ donations, there was no single organisation wi