Having HSCT outside the NHS

We strongly encourage anyone considering this to discuss their treatment options with a neurologist first. You might have been turned down for health reasons or because it's less effective for your type of MS.

Read our tips for talking about HSCT with your doctor or nurse

Read more about getting HSCT on the NHS

HSCT outside the NHS

HSCT is now available privately in centres both in the UK and abroad - these centres can have different criteria and safety standards.

Having HSCT privately in the UK

HSCT is available privately in some clinics in the UK. As with the NHS, only non-myeloablative HSCT is available, not the myeloablative kind. The criteria for who can have HSCT may not be the same as with the NHS. 

For private treatment in the UK, you need to be referred by your health care professional. This could be a GP, but a neurologist is more usual. They have access to your more detailed records and MRI scans. The specialist team at the private clinic will then need to assess your suitability for treatment.

Having HSCT abroad

If you're considering having HSCT abroad, there are several things to consider:

1. Find out exactly what the clinic is offering, and how experienced they are

HSCT, or to be exact AHSCT (autologous stem cell transplant), is not the only type of stem cell therapy being researched in MS. Mesenchymal stem cell therapy is also being investigated but this is still at the clinical trial stage. Make sure the clinic you are considering is offering HSCT specifically.

It’s also worth checking how experienced the clinic is at providing HSCT for people with MS. Are there examples of other people with MS benefiting from HSCT at this clinic? Do they also offer the treatment for many other conditions? This may suggest the clinic is not specialised for MS. Some centres have published research about HSCT treatment.

2. Is the clinic regulated to international standards?

In the UK any centre performing HSCT is regularly inspected and must comply with a huge number of quality and safety standards. This is because they have a licence from the Joint Accreditation Committee-ISCT and EBMT (JACIE).

These safety standards are used in a number of other European countries.

You can find a list of centres with the JACIE certification on the EBMT website. The European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) recommends that any centre performing HSCT should have a JACIE licence.

If you're considering treatment abroad you should check that the centre is regulated to international standards.

Read more about what having HSCT abroad involves

3. What follow-up care is provided?

It’s important to check with the clinic what follow up care they provide. Follow up care includes blood tests, checking you for infections and giving you vaccinations. The NHS might not provide this for you. Following HSCT, you might be prescribed follow-up drugs that also aren’t automatically available on the NHS. There can also be long-term complications associated with HSCT. If you’re having the treatment outside of an accredited centre you might not receive the necessary aftercare, and the NHS may not be able to cover this.

4. What's included in the cost?

The cost of HSCT abroad varies between centres. Some quotes include the cost of the flight and hotel – others do not. It’s worth checking to make sure there isn’t a nasty surprise on arrival. You should also check whether the cost includes any follow-up medications that may be required.

Read a neurologist's view of HSCT - in the NHS and overseas