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Haematology

Haematology involves the diagnosis and treatment of patients who have disorders of the blood. While a major part of a haematologist’s work involves providing direct clinical care to patients, a significant part of it is also spent on diagnostic work in the laboratory.

Haematologists provide care to a wide range of patient groups. Patients may have a serious life-threatening illness such as leukaemia, lymphoma or myeloma that requires chemotherapy. Some haematologists specialise in diseases affecting the blood coagulation system such as haemophilia, while others will provide expertise in the areas of blood transfusion or disorders of haemoglobin such as sickle cell disease.

Haematology has a strong multiprofessional approach. In the laboratory haematologists work in close collaboration with clinical and biomedical scientists. On the clinical side haematologists deliver care to patients in conjunction with nurse specialists and other medical specialists such as clinical oncologists. Haematologists also have an important role in the hospital and in primary care with GPs, in advising on the interpretation of laboratory results and on appropriate further investigation.