Last month, my President’s message spoke about the horrors of ‘blood-letting’ in nail bars and beauty parlours. The expansion of medical misinformation has again been highlighted by the tragic case of Paloma Shemirani, a 23-year-old Cambridge graduate, who died from non-Hodgkin lymphoma after declining chemotherapy. She had been deeply influenced by her mother, a former nurse and prominent conspiracy theorist, with dangerous anti-science and anti-medicine beliefs. Paloma’s death was a terrible, avoidable loss.
This has been genuinely troubling and serves as a stark reminder of the challenges faced by NHS staff when misinformation undermines trust in medical care. I want to commend the haematology team involved, who did everything possible to counsel and support the patient in line with best clinical practice. The profound distress they experienced during her illness and after her death, speaks to the emotional toll such cases take on dedicated professionals.
The case reminded me of a heartbreaking example I experienced as a senior house officer in haematology, when a young man, in remission from acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, refused blood transfusions on the advice of his Jehovah’s Witness parents and tragically died because of their beliefs. This avoidable death devastated me and the rest of the clinical team. It was a painful illustration of how deep beliefs can override clinical expertise and cost lives.
As a haematology community, we must continue to advocate for science-led care, foster open and respectful dialogue with patients, and counter harmful misinformation with clarity, compassion and resolve. Whilst a few individuals have strong, unchangeable beliefs, most patients are receptive to collaboration and involvement, and benefit from open discussions about treatment options.
On a wider scale, public and patient involvement is essential to delivering healthcare that is both effective and equitable. When we actively involve patients in shaping policies, research and services, we gain insights that improve safety, trust, and relevance. In haematology, this partnership is particularly vital, whether co-designing patient-facing tools, informing clinical trials, or enhancing communication around complex treatments. In line with the recommendations from the Infected Blood Inquiry, true progress comes when we listen, respond, and embed the patient voice at every level of decision-making.
A good example of this is the patient-focused Transfusion App, which has been co-created with transfusion-users and offers accessible information on key transfusion-related topics. Increased patient knowledge and awareness will hopefully reverse the concerning upward trend in transfusion-related deaths in the UK, highlighted in the recent SHOT report. Many were linked to preventable failures in process, oversight and governance.
The BSH fully endorses the SHOT safety standards launched earlier this month. These must now be implemented urgently and with clear accountability across the NHS. Proven solutions such as patient blood management strategies, digital safety tools, and well-supported hospital transfusion teams require consistent commitment.
BSH members working in transfusion medicine have shown tremendous leadership in this area, through SHOT, the National Blood Transfusion Committee and NHS Blood and Transplant. I warmly congratulate Professor Mike Murphy on receiving the prestigious Emily Cooley Award from the US’ Association for the Advancement of Blood and Biotherapies (AABB), in recognition of his lifelong contributions to transfusion medicine, which extend internationally.
We must embed patient safety into every aspect of haematology practice, not only as a clinical priority, but as a strategic imperative. As the Government acknowledges in its Life Sciences Sector Plan, our policy ideation is strong, but delivery poor. This plan sets out an exciting vision and actions to drive growth, innovation, and support world-class research, attract foreign investment, grow advanced manufacturing, and accelerate health innovation. There is a bold commitment to position the UK as a global leader in medical research and development, accelerating clinical trials and harnessing data to drive personalised care.
To realise this potential, collaboration between industry, academia and the NHS must be strengthened, with a supportive regulatory environment. Our strength in science needs to translate into tangible benefits for patients and frontline staff, with timely access to cutting-edge treatments and the infrastructure to deliver them safely and effectively.
There are exciting times ahead and the NHS 10-year Workforce Plan offers a commitment to rebuilding capacity and resilience across the health service to deliver this. Its focus on training, retention, and innovation is essential if we are to future-proof the workforce and embed safety and quality at every level. It saddened me that there was another strike by resident doctors. I wonder if the demand for improved working conditions is misdirected as concern over pay. We cannot influence the latter but we can continue in our efforts in building more flexible, supportive working environments, protected time for education, better mentoring structures, and support for career development. BSH aspires to a culture in which staff can thrive professionally while preserving their wellbeing. Only through coordinated, long-term action can we restore trust, improve outcomes and support the haematology community.