Since NHS England initially announced in December 2016 that it wouldn’t fund second transplants, more than 25,000 people joined our campaign to reverse the decision.

Thanks to every single person that signed the petitions, and wrote to their MPs. We all did it together.

Thanks to colleagues at Anthony Nolan, all other blood cancer charities, Emma Paine, Mark Tami MP, the APPG on Stem Cell Transplant, many MPs and clinicians, Sasha Jones and friends.

An extra-special thanks to the Hepburn family, who showed so much courage and campaigned selflessly after Gavin's death. We owe them a huge debt of gratitude.

On Friday 24 February NHS England announced that they will routinely fund second stem cell transplants for patients who relapse more than one year after their first transplant. This replaces the announcement in December 2016 that second stem cell transplants were ‘not currently affordable’.

Every year, a small number of patients with a blood cancer or blood disorder who have already received one stem cell transplant from a donor will unfortunately relapse (their disease will come back). For some of these patients, their doctor might recommend a second donor stem cell transplant. It is estimated that 16 to 20 people every year in England will need a second transplant because their blood cancer or blood disorder has relapsed.

This decision affects a small number of patients in England who:
• have received a first donor (allogenic) stem cell transplant;
• were in complete remission;
• subsequently relapsed more than 12 months after their first transplant; and
• their doctor now recommends a second stem cell transplant.

This decision does not affect patients who suffer graft failure (their first transplant fails) or patients who have received a first transplant using their own cells (autologous). This decision only affects patients in England; patients in other parts of the UK are not affected.

Why does this decision only apply to patients who relapsed more than 12 months after their first transplant?

The recommendation of clinical experts is that patients who relapse more than 12 months after their first transplant have the best chance of a successful second transplant. Unfortunately, there is weak evidence for the effectiveness of second transplants for patients who relapse within a year of their first donor transplant.

More information on 2nd stem cell transplants on the NHS official site:

• Blood and Bone Marrow Transplants
• Clinical Commissioning Policy: Second allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplant for relapsed disease (all ages)