Dr Poole entered the transfusion science profession in 1974 as a trainee BMS in Brentwood Blood Centre. He studied for FIBMS at the London Hospital and then moved to the Bristol Centre as a Senior BMS in 1979. In Bristol he undertook research degrees at Masters and Doctoral levels. In 2007 he moved from the post of Head of Red Cell Immunohaematology at NHSBT to the position of Director of the Welsh Blood Service (WBS), sitting on the Velindre NHS Trust Board. Since retirement in 2013 he has taken an advisory role for the WBS, concentrating on matters relating to the Infected Blood Inquiry.

As a Founder Member of the BBTS, Dr Poole has been a previous editor of the BBTS Newsletter (the forerunner of Bloodlines), the founding Chair of the Blood Bank Technology Special Interest Group, Chair of the Annual Scientific Meeting Organising Committee, and Chair of the Professional Affairs & Education Committee(PAEC). He was also the BBTS Honorary Treasurer from 2014 to 2020.