Committee Members

Professor Cheng-Hock Toh CBE is Chair of the National Blood Transfusion Committee and Professor and Consultant Haematologist in Liverpool. A national system leader, he is driving reform of transfusion practice in England to improve patient safety, blood stewardship and the resilience of the blood supply.

He led the hospital response to the 2022 and 2024 blood shortage Amber Alerts, reducing demand by 23% without cancelling surgery, and chairs the DHSC Demand Management Sub-Group, whose work informed NICE’s 2026 extension of tranexamic acid in surgery. A leading architect of the Transfusion Transformation Action Plan, he has championed its ambitions in the BMJ and HSJ, and his advocacy for safer transfusion was recognised in the Infected Blood Inquiry 2024 report.

Formerly President of the British Society for Haematology and Academic Vice-President of the Royal College of Physicians, he was appointed CBE in 2022 for services to haematology and medicine, reflecting sustained excellence across clinical care, research and innovation, and national leadership.

Elisabeth Buggins CBE is a health service manager whose personal experience with three sons with haemophilia who were infected with contaminated blood as infants, inspired her to develop training and support programmes for patient representatives. She established a postgraduate module in Patient and Public Involvement at Warwick University, helping health professionals engage more effectively with patients, believing that understanding patients’ experiences is essential for improving efficiency and quality in healthcare.

Elisabeth has held senior roles including Non-Executive Director (NED) on the National Blood Authority and NHS Blood and Transplant for nine years, and Chair of the UK Organ Donation Taskforce, where her leadership significantly increased organ donation and access to transplants. She now chairs the Strategy Oversight and Sustainable Funding Group, supporting the UK wide organ donation strategy.

With over 40 years’ experience, Elisabeth has chaired NHS and housing bodies, served as NED, advisor or trustee in various sectors, and was the National Board Development Lead for the NHS. She holds two honorary doctorates and is a lifetime member of the British Transplantation Society.

Youssef is a Consultant Haematologist and Associate Medical Director for Clinical Safety working at Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. He is Deputy Chair of the National Blood Transfusion Committee and Clinical Lead for Transfusion/Hospital Transfusion Committee Chair at Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals. Youssef was previously Chair of the Yorkshire Regional Transfusion Committee (2012- 2021) and subsequently Chair of the North East and Yorkshire Regional Transfusion Committee following the merger of the two regions in November 2021 (2021-2023).

Youssef is also Deputy Chair of the South Yorkshire Haemato-oncology MDM for Myeloproliferative diseases, as well as, Association of Clinical Pathologists representative on the National Quality Assurance Advisory Panel for Haematology.

Andy is a Consultant Haematologist working in a joint post between NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) and Newcastle Hospitals.  He is Secretary to the National Blood Transfusion Committee, Clinical Lead for the Patient Blood Management and Components clinical team, supports the NHSBT Red Cell Immuno-haematology clinical service and is Clinical Lead for Transfusion and Myeloma at Newcastle Hospitals.

Andy also supports regional and national transfusion education initiatives and is involved in guideline-writing and examining. He is an active PI, and UK CI for the REDDS-2 trial. 

As the Executive Assistant to the National Blood Transfusion Committee (NBTC) Celina provides high-level support to the NBTC members and the Regional Transfusion Committee (RTC) chairs. Celina ensures the effective operation of the committee and its subsidiary working and advisory groups. She leads a team of 7 RTC Administrators, overseeing their work and supporting their professional development.

As the central point of contact for NBTC and NHSBT members, Celina facilitates communication, coordination, and the delivery of key committee activities. She works closely with internal and external stakeholders to promote collaboration and ensure that the NBTC’s objectives are met efficiently and effectively.

Sasha Tidy joined the NBTC as Operations Manager in February 2026, bringing extensive experience from her role as Business Support Manager within the NHSBT Transfusion Directorate. With a strong background in blood donation and a passionate commitment to organ donation advocacy, Sasha supports the strategic work of the National Blood Transfusion Committee, the Regional Transfusion Committees, and the NBTC’s specialist working groups. Her role focuses on strengthening the reach, influence, and operational delivery of national transfusion initiatives, helping ensure that good intentions translate into meaningful improvements in hospital transfusion practice.