BBTS 2026: Clinical and Scientific Programme

Scroll down for programme to date, this will be updated regularly leading up to the event.

Monday 14th September

Evening (TBC)	Bursary Celebration
16:00 - 20:00	Early Registration
19:30 - 20:30	Bursary / Margaret Kenwright Meet and Greet
20:30 - 23:00	Curry and Quiz Night - Matt Hazell and Martin Maley

Tuesday 15th September

Time
8:00 - 9:15	Conference Registration
8:30 - 9:10	Early Careers Group Meeting - Jamie Nash
9:15 - 9:30	Conference Opening from BBTS President Julie Staves
	Simultaneous Sessions
9:30 - 11:00	Red Cell SIG Part 1 Chairs: Christian Jannete Stevens & Vanja Crew John Gibson, Across species: A comparative perspective on red cell homeostasis and its influence on our understanding of human physiology and disease Fatima Oyawoye, Generation of sustainable supply of sickle cell disease models using Crispr-Cas-9 technology
	Blood Bank Technology SIG Chair: Ben Holmes Jennifer Davies, IT Assisted Antibody Panel Interpretation Katy Veale, Artificial Intelligence in Blood Transfusion: Discussion Panel
	Cellular Therapies SIG
	Transfusion Practitioner SIG
11:00 -11:30	Break
	Simultaneous Sessions
11:30 - 13:00	Red Cell SIG Part 2 Chairs: Christian Jannete Stevens & Vanja Crew Athina Meli, Investigation of the quality of red cell components with Familial Pseudohyperkalaemia Sabine Taylor, RESTORE – Generating red blood cells from stem cells
	Paediatric SIG Dr Carla Thomas, Paediatric ECMO Dr Anne Kelly, New guideline for paediatric transfusion Dr Caroline Hartley, Anemia, vital signs post transfusion and neurodevelopment outcome in preterm neonates
	Microbiology SIG Chair: Su Brailsford Katy Davison & Claire Reynolds, Safe supplies: 30 years of collaboration, surveillance and evidence
13:00 - 14:00	Lunch Break, Exhibition & Poster Viewing
	Simultaneous Sessions
14:00 - 15:30	Red Cell SIG Part 3 Chairs: Christian Jannete Stevens & Vanja Crew Anna Kleyman, Erythrocytes, Cholesterol and Sepsis
	Patient Blood Management SIG Chair: Tracey Tomlinson Tracy Johnston, What is the role of the patient in promoting PBM Damien Carson, Barriers to implementing PBM in practice Dr Ursula Bahlmann, What opportunities and drivers can we utilise to implement change?
	Components SIG Chair: Mike Wiltshire Melanie Robbins, The Road to Universal Plasma and Platelets: What will it take to deliver the dream Hanna Dreja, Towards Universal Plasma and Platelets: Effective ABO Antibody Reduction from High Titre Components Edward Leech-Sayers, Microfluidic Analysis of Platelet Transfusion Components Under Physiological Flow Athina Meli, Evalution of red cell storage in a non-DEHP system after the automated separation of whole blood
15:30 - 16:00	Break
16:00 - 17:30	Plenary I Chairs: Julie Staves & Fateha Chowdhury Staff Sergeant Elaine Bell, Tactical Blood Delivery and Transfusion in Support of Forward Medical Teams Captain Francis Opoku, The last Mile Problem in Defence Blood Transfusion: Translating Strategy into Tactical Effect Major Michael Brewer, The Lifeline Behind the Front Line: Strategic Blood Supply in Defence for Today and Warfighting Tomorrow
17:30 - 20:00	Welcome Reception & Exhibition Opening

Wednesday 16th September

Time
07.00 - 08:30	5K Run
08:00 - 08:45	Conference Registration
	Simultaneous Sessions
09:00 - 10:30	1: Research / Red Cell Genotyping
	2. Margaret Kenwright Awards Chairs: Jamie Nash & Graham Scott
	3: Education Chairs: Rachel Moss & Amanda Davies Matthew Hazell & Martin Maley, BBTS Specialist Certificates - Launching the long awaited and updated "Clinical Transfusion Practice"
	4. Serological Case Studies Chair: Laura Eastwood Julie Taylor, Against the Odds: Rare Antibodies in Pregnancy Emma Copperwaite, A Serological Mystery with a Genetic Twist Shane Grimsley, Serological Soup – Fishing Out the Specificities
10:30 - 11:00	Break
11:00 - 12:30	Plenary II: BBTS Award Lectures
12:30 - 13:00	BBTS Annual General Meeting (AGM), Members Only
13:00 - 14:00	Lunch
	Simultaneous Sessions
14:00 - 15:30	5. Hospital Lab UK TLC Standards Debate Chair: Julie Staves Case For: Kerry Dowling Case Against: David Matthews
	6. Clinical Case Studies Chair: Katie Hands Stefan Tucker Lorna Cain Rebecca Ling
	7. Donors/Donation Chairs: Champa Manchanayake & Chiara Vendramin Prof. Eva-Maria Merz, Beyond the Needle: Innovations and Challenges in Donor Education, Recruitment, and Retention Lian Wea Chia, Iron supplementation to reduce deferral, iron deficiency and/or anaemia in blood donors. Ines Ushiro-Lumb
	8. Transfusion Transformation Chairs: Josephine McCullagh & Jennifer Rock Martin Maley, University-NHSBT collaboration: working together to support the development of the biomedical science workforce Stephanie Tempest, From Co-Design to Practice: Next Steps for the Transfusion Practice Professional Development Framework Heather Clarke, Benefits Uncovered: E-requesting and Reporting of NHSBT Referrals from Hospital Transfusion Laboratories
15:30 - 16:00	Break
16:00 - 16:45	Networking & Poster Viewing
16:45 - 17:15	Poster Prize Giving
19:00 - Midnight	Conference Dinner

Thursday 17th September

Time

08:00 - 09:30

Conference Registration

Simultaneous Sessions

09:30 - 11:00

9: SHOT

10: Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

Chairs: Ian Sullivan & Osaro Nelson

Eamonn Ferguson

Zoe Andrews, Neurodiversity in the Laboratory: Strengths, Challenges and Inclusive Practice

Carolyn Jones

11: Early Careers

Chair: Jamie Nash

Amanda Davies

Dr Thomas Scorer

12: Enviromental Sustainability

Chair: Steve Thomas

Gillian Grafton, Environmental sustainability is not optional - our moral and legal obligations

Sheri Scott, Green by Design: Embedding Sustainability into Transfusion Science, Training, and Quality Systems

11:00 0 11:30

Break

11:30 - 13:00

Plenary III - Blood Supply

Chair: Danny Gaskin

13:00 - 13:15

Closing Remarks - Julie Staves

13:15 - 13:45

Lunch

13:45

Close of Conference and Departure