NHSBT’s Dr Su Brailsford appointed chair of a safety committee at the Department of Health and Social Care.

NHSBT’s Dr Su Brailsford has been appointed chair of one of the most important safety committees at the Department of Health and Social Care.

She will chair of the Advisory Committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs (SaBTO).

The committee advises UK ministers and health departments on the most appropriate ways to ensure the safety of blood, cells, tissues and organs for transfusion or transplantation.

Dr Brailsford is a consultant in Epidemiology and Health Protection who became an Associate Medical Director in Microbiology and Public Health at NHS Blood and Transplant. Dr Brailsford’s work for NHSBT focuses on blood safety including donor selection and research into detecting and preventing transfusion transmitted infections.

She works closely with the University of Nottingham, and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), leading the joint NHSBT/UKHSA Epidemiology Unit. She chaired the FAIR project which enabled blood donation to become more inclusive for gay and bisexual men.

"I look forward to joining SaBTO as the new chair, building on the work of Professor James Neuberger and the current members of SaBTO as we work together to maintain the safety of blood, tissues, stem cells and organs and horizon scan for future threats," said Dr Brailsford.

The appointment will be effective from March 2026.

The outgoing chair, Professor James Neuberger, is a former NHSBT Medical Director for Organ Donation and Transplantation.