Congratulations to Elisabeth Buggins CBE who has been appointed Co-Chair of the National Blood Transfusion Committee (NBTC).
The NBTC Executive has been working with NHSBT’s Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement Officers to find a Patient Co-Chair to promote the patient voice within the Committee, and to fulfil its responsibility in light of the recent Infected Blood Inquiry to ensure patients are at the heart of decision-making in transfusion practice in England.
Elisabeth's role as Co-Chair will be to help shape and agree a national approach to improving clinical transfusion practice in hospitals, whilst also working with NHSBT to ensure that it is accountable for its performance regarding clinical transfusion practice.
Elisabeth says: "It is an honour to be appointed as the first patient Co-Chair of the NBTC. I look forward to bringing a patient perspective into the Committee’s deliberations and to seeking out the views of relevant patient groups to enrich my contribution. Having had three sons infected as infants through contaminated blood and blood products I know just how important safe products and delivery systems are to patients and their families".
Professor Cheng-Hock Toh CBE says: “I am honoured and humbled that Elisabeth has agreed to co-chair the NBTC with me. This is a landmark moment in the 24-year history of the NBTC and I have no doubt that Elisabeth will help improve decision making and outcome for patients”.
Elisabeth will co-chair her first formal meeting when NBTC meets in September 2025 as a full committee.
