'SICKLE' - Docufilm Premiere a huge success

On Wednesday 11 September The Red Cell Network hosted the premiere screening event of 'SICKLE' at Everyman Cinema in Muswell Hill. The screening was attended by healthcare professionals, patients, friends, families, commissioners and community leaders. The film will be used in training and education to help improve health outcomes and quality of life for people affected by sickle cell disorder.

Stuart McGunnigle, network manager for The Red Cell Network emphasised the importance of innovative awareness strategies “Sickle cell disorder is the most prevalent genetically inherited disorder in the UK yet very little is known about it in the general public, except some perpetuated misconceptions and myths. Unfortunately, the situation isn't much better amongst healthcare professionals and, as a result, care of these patients falls way below the standard they deserve and require.”

The network has two specialist education nurses but the challenge of training staff across over 40 hospitals remains significant. McGunnigle highlighted the absence of mandated training for sickle cell disorder among healthcare professionals as a key barrier to improving care.

To address this, The Red Cell Network teamed up with local charity Black Thrive Haringey to produce ‘SICKLE’. The charity, initially unfamiliar with sickle cell disorder, was inspired to create the documentary after attending a network education day in January 2024. The film was produced with the help of Anton Forde and a dedicated team of around 30 individuals, including patients, nurses, consultants, psychologists, administrators and technical experts.

Filming took place on 16 August at the UCLH Education Centre, with three days of work condensed into one intensive day. In the three weeks that followed, six hours of footage was distilled into a 25-minute educational documentary which is emotive and informative.

The premiere event saw overwhelming interest, with 245 tickets selling out within 36 hours and over 110 people on the waiting list. Attendees enjoyed a welcome drink, photo opportunities, and mingling before the screening. The film received lengthy applause as the end credits drew to a close, followed by a panel Q&A session with key contributors.

Work now starts on gathering feedback and planning a route to getting the film in front of as many people as possible to help spread awareness.

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