Psychological support for adults with red cell disorders : University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

About our service

Our dedicated psychology team can help you with any emotional concerns you may have due to the problems with your physical health. Some of the topics we often talk about in sessions are:

Learning to live with a red cell disorder and to manage the impact it has on your life
Adjusting to treatment, regular blood transfusions and periods of hospital stays
Communicating with healthcare providers and hospital staff
Making decisions about treatment
Coping with pain and other complications of red cell disorders both in and out of hospital
Managing stress
Family, relationships and sexual problems
Depression and low mood
Low self-confidence and self-esteem
Anxiety and anger problems
Worries about the future
Bereavement and loss
Concentration and memory problems.

How does the service work?

You can ask any member of the red cell haematology team to refer you or your family member to the psychology team. Staff in the Macmillan Support and Information Service can also refer you:

visit their drop-in service on the ground floor of the University College Hospital Macmillan Cancer Centre
call them on 020 3447 3816, or
email uclh.supportandinformation@nhs.net

When we receive a referral, we will offer you an initial appointment to talk about how we can help. Depending on your needs, we may then arrange further sessions.

Appointments last about one hour.

Types of psychological support

We offer:

Individual psychology sessions
Couple and family work
Staff consultation, training and support
Liaison with other healthcare professionals and psychosocial and community services.