The managing director of a UK stem cell collection and storage organisation has called for the government to appoint a 'Stem Cell Tsar' to tackle increasingly chaotic policy on the issue
Shamshad Ahmed, founder of London-based Smart Cells International, is supported by a number of senior medical professionals.
Ahmed, whose organisation collects and stores stem cells from 40 countries, says more consistency and organisation is needed if the potential of stem cell-based treatment is to be realised in the UK.
Despite more than 6000 stem cell transplants worldwide, there have been only a handful involving UK patients - and UK hospitals have vastly varying policies on stem cell collection ranging from summary bans to strong support for collection.
Stem cells are collected from cord blood taken from the placenta at the time of birth.
Ahmed's views are backed by a number of health professionals.
One NHS Trust department head said: "Collection is incredibly easy, takes minimal time and it should be done whenever a patient wants it done - but my Trust discourages stem cell collection".
"However, collection is becoming more and more compelling as more successful treatments are carried out worldwide." Another said: "I'm a director of a Trust, and I can't find the right person or people in a position in my Regional Health Authority to say whether or not stem cell collection should be permitted, and I don't know who to go to among the NHS Commissioners." Each wished to remain anonymous.
Shamshad Ahmed said: "There are more than 170 NHS hospital Trusts, and more than 170 policies on stem cell collection".
"Neighbouring Trusts can have polarised views on stem cell collection, and while the bickering is going on over whether or not stem cells can or should be collected, families' lives are being affected".
"Some Trusts summarily ban collection, some sit on the fence or leave it to the doctors or midwives present at a birth, some support stem cell collection".
"This state of affairs has prevailed for five years since the RCOG (Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists) pronounced stem cell treatment as unproven".
"In the 21st century, five years is a long time in terms of medical and scientific progress".
"We need the government to appoint a knowledgeable and dynamic expert who is able to understand stem cell collection issues, provide a vision for their potential and drive a consistent policy to which all NHS Trusts default." Currently, Trusts, midwives, gynaecologists and obstetricians share a range of views on stem cell collection - not only inconsistent between their groups, but also amongst themselves".
"The Royal College of Midwives takes a stance that they may be endangered in using a needle to collect blood - and therefore stem cells - from the umbilical cord at the time of birth, but they use needles all the time for a vast range of other reasons," said one medical professional".
"They also cite legal concerns - what if a collection goes wrong and they get sued? Frankly, that's farcical".
"The collection is from an umbilical cord and does not affect the mother in any way".
"However, some midwives are perfectly happy to take cord blood at the time of birth, while some hand over the needle and Petrie dish to the father".
"Meanwhile, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists says that it is not convinced of the value of cord blood collection because stem cell treatment is 'unproven'." Shamshad Ahmed said: "The whole point of stem cell collection and storage is that it is an insurance policy for the future".
"Twenty-five years ago, many major organ transplants and a vast range of treatments were unproven; today they are accepted, commonplace and routine".
"Stem cell research is moving on at a pace - what seems unlikely or 'unproven' today will be commonplace or routine in years to come as new medical techniques are established as routine".
"We may be a business, but we are expert in collection and storage: while we charge for our service, as does private healthcare, the revenues raised pay for research and development in storage processes".
"A stem cell collection missed now may be the last opportunity a family has to take out the ultimate insurance policy against illness or injury for many years to come." Stem cells are basic building blocks or 'master cells' that can change into other types of cells that form organs, muscles, skin, bone, nerves and blood.
When implanted and used to treat or rebuild after disease or injury, these master cells somehow know how to migrate to the damaged area of the body and begin repairing the tissue.
