Haematology
Nature of the work
Haematology encompasses:
- the diagnosis and clinical management of disorders of the
blood and bone marrow
- provision of clinical support for the haematology diagnostic
laboratory including the blood bank.
Working in haematology
Haematologists undertake the care of
outpatients and inpatients, provide an advisory and consultancy
service to all hospital specialists and general practitioners,
and manage diagnostic laboratories. They provide clinical
interpretation of laboratory data and morphology of blood and bone
marrow specimens.
This holistic approach to clinical care is a
highlight of the specialty. Clinical haematology is an intensive,
exciting, rewarding but demanding specialty that encompasses both
clinical and laboratory practice. As a result of this dual role,
haematologists take an active part in every stage of patient
management, from initial clinic visit, to laboratory
assessment/diagnosis and finally to treatment.
Specialists undergo training in all aspects of
haematology, both clinical and laboratory. As consultants, they are
expected to maintain a core competence in both these areas to
provide an on-call and emergency service. For many years there has
been a culture of informal networking among haematologists.
Currently, more formal arrangements are being established,
particularly in haemato-oncology.
Common procedures/interventions
Common procedures and interventions
include:
- Delivering clinical care, often for life-threatening
disease.
- Formulating chemotherapy protocols and managing their
delivery.
- Managing hemipoietic stem cell transplantion procedures.
- Providing advice on haematology laboratory results.
- Sampling bone marrow and interpreting the morphology.
- Performing diagnostic lumbar punctures and giving intra-thecal
chemotherapy.
Associated sub specialties
Within haematology there is the opportunity to
further develop special interests in a wide variety of clinical and
laboratory areas. Most haematologists have further competences in
one or more sub specialties within the discipline. These
include:
- haemato-oncology (acute and chronic leukaemias, lymphoma,
multiple myeloma)
- haemostasis/thrombosis (congenital and acquired disorders of
haemostasis and blood coagulation and management of antithrombotic
therapies)
- disorders of blood production and destruction (including bone
marrow failure, anaemias and autoimmune blood diseases)
- transfusion medicine
- paediatric haematology.
Further information
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