A drug trial at Queen’s Hospital could lead to an improvement in the way patients are treated for a hereditary blood disorder.

Patients at Queen’s Hospital, in Romford, have taken part in the first phase of a drug trial to improve treatment for sickle cell disease, one of the most common reasons London patients are readmitted to hospital.

The hereditary blood disorder changes red blood cells so they cannot move around the body easily, and can cause organ damage and severe pain when they get stuck in blood vessels.

Consultant haematologist at Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals Trust Claire Hemmaway is leading the trial and has recruited 21 patients, more than any other non-teaching hospital involved.

When her trial with16 patients was successful, she was invited to discuss her findings at the annual American Society of Haematology conference in Orlando, Florida.

She said: “This is the first trial on patients and the results are very encouraging.

“Everyone at the conference in the USA were talking about the new drug, so it’s a really exciting time for us.”