Sickle cell disease is the name for a group of inherited health conditions that affect red blood cells. The most serious type is called sickle cell anaemia.
People with sickle cell disease produce unusually shaped red blood cells that can cause problems because they do not live as long as healthy blood cells and can block blood vessels.
Sickle cell disease is a serious and lifelong health condition, although treatment can help manage many of the symptoms.
It is often detected during pregnancy or soon after birth, via screening offered to all pregnant women in England, as well as to babies as part of the newborn blood spot test, or heel prick test.
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