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Medical specialties

Haematology Diploma

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An evidence-led diploma in clinical haematology: how to read the blood count, treat anaemia and haemoglobin disorders, manage bleeding, thrombosis and anticoagulation safely, and make the first decisions in leukaemia, lymphoma and myeloma, in line with current UK and European guidance.

Twenty-five weekly sessions across five modules take you from red cell and haemoglobin disorders, through bleeding, thrombosis and anticoagulation, myeloid and lymphoid disease and myeloma, to transfusion, stem cell transplant, chimeric antigen receptor (CAR-T) cell therapy and pregnancy, taught live by practising specialists you can question.

Course director
To be announced
Format
25 live weekly sessions on Zoom, in 5 modules
Dates
Confirmed when enrolment opens

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Blood film under the microscope showing round red blood cells and several purple-staining lymphocytes, as seen in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia.
Image: blood film in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia by Mary Ann Thompson via Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Who it is for

Senior trainees, fellows and early-career consultants in haematology, and physicians who manage blood disorders, worldwide.

The programme

25 one-hour sessions in 5 modules, each with its learning objectives. This is the draft programme: the course director reviews and refines it before enrolment opens, so session titles may change.

Module 1 · Sessions 1 to 5Red cells and haemoglobin disorders

  1. 1. Reading the blood count and film: when to worry

    • Interpret an abnormal full blood count in the context of the history, examination and previous results
    • Recognise blood film findings that need same-day haematology review
    • Apply national referral criteria for suspected haematological cancer
    • Explain benign causes of isolated cytopenias to patients and referring colleagues

  2. 2. Iron deficiency and iron overload

    • Diagnose iron deficiency using ferritin and transferrin saturation, including in inflammation
    • Decide which patients need gastrointestinal investigation for iron deficiency anaemia
    • Choose between oral and intravenous iron and plan the check of response
    • Investigate a raised ferritin and recognise hereditary haemochromatosis

  3. 3. Macrocytosis, B12 and folate deficiency and haemolysis

    • Diagnose and treat vitamin B12 and folate deficiency in line with current national guidance
    • Start treatment before results return when neurological features are present
    • Confirm haemolysis and distinguish immune from non-immune causes
    • Plan first-line treatment for warm autoimmune haemolytic anaemia and cold agglutinin disease

  4. 4. Sickle cell disease

    • Manage an acute painful sickle cell episode with prompt and effective analgesia
    • Recognise acute chest syndrome and other life-threatening complications early
    • Offer hydroxycarbamide and plan its monitoring
    • Explain who may benefit from gene therapy or stem cell transplant and how to refer

  5. 5. Thalassaemia and haemoglobinopathy screening

    • Distinguish thalassaemia trait from iron deficiency using red cell indices and haemoglobin analysis
    • Counsel a couple after a positive antenatal haemoglobinopathy screen
    • Plan transfusion, chelation and iron monitoring in transfusion-dependent thalassaemia
    • Identify patients who may be eligible for disease-modifying or gene therapy
Module 2 · Sessions 6 to 10Bleeding, thrombosis and anticoagulation

  1. 6. Thrombocytopenia and immune thrombocytopenia

    • Work through the causes of thrombocytopenia and exclude pseudothrombocytopenia
    • Diagnose immune thrombocytopenia as a diagnosis of exclusion
    • Choose first-line and second-line treatment for adult immune thrombocytopenia
    • Manage critical bleeding in a patient with immune thrombocytopenia

  2. 7. Inherited and acquired bleeding disorders

    • Take a structured bleeding history and choose first-line coagulation tests
    • Interpret prolonged clotting times and decide on mixing studies and factor assays
    • Plan procedural cover for a patient with haemophilia or von Willebrand disease
    • Recognise acquired haemophilia and start urgent management

  3. 8. Venous thromboembolism: diagnosis and treatment

    • Use clinical probability scores and D-dimer to investigate suspected deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism
    • Select patients with low-risk pulmonary embolism for outpatient treatment
    • Decide the duration of anticoagulation after provoked and unprovoked events
    • Apply national guidance on when thrombophilia testing is and is not useful

  4. 9. Anticoagulation in practice

    • Choose an anticoagulant and dose for the individual patient, including in renal impairment
    • Plan interruption and restart of anticoagulation around surgery and procedures
    • Reverse anticoagulation in major bleeding with the right agent
    • Manage anticoagulation in antiphospholipid syndrome and cancer-associated thrombosis

  5. 10. Thrombotic microangiopathy, heparin-induced thrombocytopenia and disseminated intravascular coagulation

    • Recognise thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura and arrange same-day treatment
    • Distinguish it from complement-mediated haemolytic uraemic syndrome and other thrombotic microangiopathies
    • Assess suspected heparin-induced thrombocytopenia with the 4Ts score and switch anticoagulant safely
    • Score and manage disseminated intravascular coagulation
Module 3 · Sessions 11 to 15Myeloid disorders and bone marrow failure

  1. 11. Myeloproliferative neoplasms

    • Investigate a raised haemoglobin or platelet count and decide when to test for driver mutations
    • Manage thrombotic risk in polycythaemia vera and essential thrombocythaemia
    • Assess prognosis in myelofibrosis and decide on Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor therapy or transplant referral
    • Explain the main differences between the current classification systems for myeloid neoplasms

  2. 12. Chronic myeloid leukaemia

    • Confirm a diagnosis of chronic myeloid leukaemia and define its phase
    • Choose a first-line tyrosine kinase inhibitor using comorbidity and the patient's goals
    • Act on molecular monitoring results using current European milestones
    • Select patients for an attempt at treatment-free remission

  3. 13. Acute leukaemia: diagnosis and first decisions

    • Recognise acute leukaemia and its emergencies, including leucostasis and coagulopathy
    • Classify acute myeloid leukaemia by genetic risk using the European LeukemiaNet 2022 recommendations
    • Assess fitness for intensive treatment and discuss alternatives with older patients
    • Start immediate treatment for suspected acute promyelocytic leukaemia

  4. 14. Myelodysplastic neoplasms

    • Diagnose myelodysplastic neoplasms and exclude reversible causes of dysplasia
    • Calculate risk with the molecular international prognostic scoring system
    • Plan treatment of anaemia in lower-risk disease
    • Decide when to refer for hypomethylating therapy or stem cell transplant

  5. 15. Aplastic anaemia and bone marrow failure

    • Investigate pancytopenia and distinguish aplastic anaemia from hypoplastic myelodysplasia
    • Grade severity and provide supportive care, including infection prophylaxis
    • Choose between immunosuppressive therapy and stem cell transplant
    • Recognise paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria and decide when to treat it
Module 4 · Sessions 16 to 20Lymphoid and plasma cell disorders

  1. 16. Lymphocytosis, lymphadenopathy and lymphoma staging

    • Distinguish reactive from clonal lymphocytosis
    • Decide when and how to biopsy enlarged lymph nodes
    • Stage lymphoma using the Lugano classification
    • Interpret PET-CT response using the Deauville scale

  2. 17. Large B-cell lymphoma and Hodgkin lymphoma

    • Plan first-line treatment for large B-cell lymphoma, including central nervous system risk assessment
    • Decide when relapsed large B-cell lymphoma should be treated with CAR-T cell therapy
    • Choose a PET-adapted strategy for advanced Hodgkin lymphoma
    • Monitor for and manage late effects, including bleomycin lung toxicity

  3. 18. Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia and indolent lymphomas

    • Decide when chronic lymphocytic leukaemia needs treatment using international criteria
    • Choose between continuous and fixed-duration targeted therapy
    • Prevent infection in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, including vaccination
    • Manage watch and wait for indolent lymphomas and recognise transformation

  4. 19. Multiple myeloma

    • Diagnose myeloma using international diagnostic criteria and the right first tests
    • Plan first-line treatment for transplant-eligible and transplant-ineligible patients
    • Identify high-risk myeloma and adapt treatment
    • Manage myeloma bone disease, renal impairment and infection risk

  5. 20. Paraproteins, monoclonal gammopathies and amyloidosis

    • Risk-stratify monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance and plan proportionate follow-up
    • Recognise monoclonal gammopathy of renal significance and refer appropriately
    • Identify red flags for AL amyloidosis in cardiology, renal and neurology patients
    • Recognise and treat hyperviscosity syndrome
Module 5 · Sessions 21 to 25Transfusion, cellular therapy and special situations

  1. 21. Safe transfusion and patient blood management

    • Apply restrictive red cell transfusion thresholds and recognise the exceptions
    • Use platelets, plasma and cryoprecipitate appropriately
    • Recognise and manage acute transfusion reactions and report them
    • Reduce transfusion with patient blood management, including tranexamic acid

  2. 22. Major haemorrhage and coagulopathy

    • Lead the haematology response to a major haemorrhage call
    • Use tranexamic acid, fibrinogen and blood components in the right order
    • Interpret viscoelastic and standard coagulation tests in bleeding patients
    • Manage coagulopathy in liver disease before invasive procedures

  3. 23. Stem cell transplantation and CAR-T cell therapy

    • Identify patients who should be referred for allogeneic transplant or CAR-T cell therapy
    • Recognise and grade cytokine release syndrome and neurotoxicity
    • Recognise acute and chronic graft-versus-host disease
    • Plan long-term follow-up for transplant survivors

  4. 24. Haematology in pregnancy

    • Distinguish gestational thrombocytopenia from immune thrombocytopenia and pre-eclampsia
    • Assess and reduce venous thromboembolism risk in pregnancy and after birth
    • Plan anticoagulation for a pregnant woman with a mechanical heart valve with cardiology and obstetrics
    • Manage red cell antibodies and haemoglobin disorders in pregnancy with the maternity team

  5. 25. Haematological emergencies and complex case panel

    • Start empirical antibiotics immediately for suspected neutropenic sepsis
    • Prevent and treat tumour lysis syndrome
    • Protect patients with an absent or hypofunctional spleen from serious infection
    • Apply the course to complex cases in a panel discussion

What the diploma includes

  • 25 live sessions on Zoom, one evening a week, with recordings for the weeks you miss.
  • Practising specialists teaching live, so you can put your questions to them.
  • Weekly MCQs and a final written assessment.
  • A digital certificate carrying your final classification.

Lead or teach the Haematology Diploma

We are looking for a course director and faculty from the specialty. Sessions are one hour in the UK evening, live on Zoom, and paid.

Apply to teach