Cord blood banking service
At the time of birth, the umbilical cord and placenta are usually discarded after the cord is cut. However, the blood remaining in the umbilical cord and placenta contains valuable stem cells. We offer a service to safely collect and store these stem cells for potential use in the future, either by your child or a family member. These stem cells can be used to treat blood cancers, genetic disorders, and more, serving as an alternative to bone marrow stem cells.
Learn more about cord blood banking.
How does the service work?
Step 1
To get started, simply call us or complete our online application form. We will send you an application pack that you need to fill out and return. Once received, our team will review the form to ensure the stem cells can be processed and stored, and confirm your eligibility for our service.
Please note that for certain medical conditions, it may not be recommended to collect or use stem cells for someone else (allogeneic use). If this is the case, we will advise you accordingly.
Step 2
Once your application is approved, we’ll call you to take informed consent and arrange to send you the cord blood stem cell collection kit. A healthcare professional, midwife, or trained phlebotomist will need to collect the stem cells. If your midwife is unable to assist, we’ll arrange for a trained phlebotomist to handle the collection.
Step 3
After your baby is born and the midwife has confirmed that both you and your baby are OK, the healthcare professional will collect the cord blood. They will also take a sample of your blood for testing to ensure it is suitable for storage.
Once both the cord blood and maternal blood sample are collected, the materials will be packed for courier pick-up. Simply call us, and we’ll coordinate the collection and transport of the stem cells to our laboratory for processing and storage.
Rest assured, the collection kit comes with clear instructions for the healthcare professional on how to handle, pack, and send the stem cells.
Step 4
Once the stem cells have been successfully processed and stored in our laboratory, we’ll send you a detailed report of the results. Your baby’s stem cells will be securely stored for 25 years. These cells can only be released with written consent from the mother (or legal guardian) or from the child once they reach legal age.
If you need the stem cells in the future, simply contact us, and we’ll take care of the rest.
Visit our Frequently Asked Questions page for more information.
Do I qualify?
Our charity offers umbilical cord blood banking service to anyone who meets one of the following criteria:
- The stem cells from your baby, could be used to treat your baby, or another member of the family, for a medically proven treatment. A specialist’s recommendation would be necessary.
- there is any cancer in the immediate family.
If you currently receive Housing Benefit, Council Tax Support, or Universal Credit, you may be eligible for full funding towards your participation in the Service. If the total income (excluding state benefits) for each adult in your household is £40,000 or less, you could be eligible for partial funding.
Click hereto view the threshold table.
For further details, please refer to our approval policy.
Please note that for certain conditions or diseases, it may not be advisable to collect stem cells or use them for treatment in another person (allogeneic use). If this applies to you, we will inform you accordingly. If your application is approved, we will contact you to arrange the setup of the service.
Please note: We are currently not able to accept applications from Northern Ireland or the Isle of Man.
Need help?
If you have more questions about Model Cell Biobank, take a look at our frequently asked questions page or click below to request a call-back
Read Model Cell Biobank stories
Read real-life stories of families who have used our cord blood banking service.
Our partner
Our charity has chosen Smart Cells | FamiCord Group as its partner to procure, process and store cord stem cells under its Human Tissue Authority licence. Smart Cells has a strong reputation for the high standards it applies to the storage and processing of stem cells derived from umbilical cord blood and cord tissue for human application or transplant.
Smart Cells not only works to the highest standards, it also has an ethical approach which aligns with our charity, something we are proud of. For more information go to www.smartcells.com/
For clients whose stem cells are stored with Biovault, the stem cells will continue to be safely stored with Biovault Technical, which continues to be a licensed facility for the storage of cells and tissue for transplant.
