Project News

2010

Feb
With most of the data collected for the private banking sector, a intensive period of advertising took place during Jan, and a third wave of data collection was undertaken. Interviews with donors and depositors as well as heads of maternity services, directors of assisted conception clinics and representatives from genetic illness groups were carried out. Focus groups with pregnant women and their partners were conducted and reconvened approximately two weeks later.

March
Laura attended the APPG on Cord Blood where Gillian Merron, health minister, talked about the ‘expert strategic forum’, being organised by the NHS Blood and Transplant in partnership with the Department of Health. The aim of the forum is to advise on how to proceed with a national strategy for cord blood in the UK over the next ten years. The forum will feed back its findings in a report at the end of June. Laura took the opportunity to highlight the work being done at the University of York on cord blood banking with the Minister.

The team were asked by Dr Maria Gilleece, Consultant Haematologist and Director Bone Marrow Transplant Service at St James Hospital, Leeds to write an article for the British Society of Blood and Marrow Transplantation newsletter . After being peer reviewed, the article has been accepted and is being published alongside another two other articles on cord blood.

The second Advisory panel meeting was convened at the Kings Manor, with all members of the panel, project team and project consultants able to attend. Nik presented initial observations on the focus groups, using sound files to play to the panel to generate wider group discussion. Laura updated the panel on recent events in the cord blood world and the current status of the project, including ethics approval, data collection and future plans for the remaining nine months of the project. Danae concluded the day with her presentation on the initial themes emerging from her data collection on online discussion forums around cord blood.

April
During the recruitment of people who have donated or paid to store, cord blood with a bank, the team were approached by the Cambridge NCT group to write an article for their summer newsletter. The article discusses the range of cord blood banks available and the recent policy debates surrounding cord blood banking. The article has been submitted and the team is awaiting feedback. It is anticipate that the article will be available from July 2010.

At the end of April, the team attended the Haematology Department at St. James’ Hospital, Leeds, where Nik presented at their lunch time seminars on the global trade of cord blood banking.

June
On the 22nd June, Sandra Haars, from the Institute of Cultural Anthropology and European Ethnology at Goethe University Frankfurt, will be presenting her findings from her Ph.D. on cord blood banking at the SATSU Brown Bag Seminar. Please contact Danae if you are interested in attending.

2009 News Archive

Last Updated: April 21, 2010 | lm603@york.ac.uk

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