Prof. Ashley George PhD, FRSC is a seasoned chemist with 23+ years in global biopharma, spanning scientific leadership, VC-backed start-ups, and founding US not-for-profits including the Pistoia Alliance and TechForGood. He led GSK’s Global Innovation and Consumerisation Centre of Excellence until 2018, covering digital medical devices, due diligence, M&A, and major transformations across R&D, manufacturing, supply chain, sales and marketing. He now advises organisations from FTSE 100/Fortune 500 to startups, is President of TechForGood.org and founder of Read It To Me (RITM) to improve global patient health literacy. In 2024, he experienced a serious leg thrombosis, informing his patient perspective.

Synopsis:

Hospital‑acquired thrombosis (HAT) is the leading cause of preventable patient death, yet identifying and investigating cases is often slow, retrospective, and incomplete. To address this, the thrombosis and digital services teams at The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Trust partnered with Solventum to develop the Follow‑Up Finder system.

Using artificial intelligence, it scans all radiology reports in real time and immediately flags new venous thromboembolism (VTE) diagnoses in the electronic medical record.

This enables:
• Rapid clinical action: Thrombosis nurses can quickly review patients and optimise early VTE care.
• Stronger prevention: Every new HAT is automatically identified and assessed to determine whether prevention measures could have been improved.

After two years in use, the system has improved early care for one‑third of patients with VTE and reduced potentially avoidable HATs by 50%.

Dr Kate Musgrave is a Consultant Haematologist at Newcastle and an Honorary Senior Clinical Lecturer at Newcastle University. She specialises in the management of venous thromboembolism and bleeding disorders. She completed her medical training at the University of Cambridge and University College London, followed by a PhD in Medical Sciences at Newcastle University. Her research focuses on cancer‑associated thrombosis and improving outcomes for patients at risk of blood clots. Dr Musgrave is committed to delivering high‑quality, evidence‑based care and has authored multiple peer‑reviewed publications. She serves as the Thrombosis Lead for The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Vikki Maher is a Senior Thrombosis Nurse Specialist and independent prescriber at The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. A graduate of Northumbria University, she has built her career around the prevention and management of venous thromboembolism. Vikki plays a key role in advancing thrombosis care through evidence based practice, patient education, and multidisciplinary collaboration.

Dr Matthew Fay, GP Director

Dr Matthew Fay is a Leeds Medical School graduate, graduating in 1992, very much to the Dean’s

surprise!

After enjoying a varied few years in hospital practice he became a General Practitioner at Westcliffe Medical Practice in 1999.

In 2001 he established a GPwSI cardiology service for North Bradford PCT. Dr Fay has a special interest in thrombosis and was National Clinical Lead for Atrial Fibrillation with NHS Improvement Heart & Stroke.

Was appointed a trustee of Thrombosis UK for the work he has been undertaking to raise the profile of thrombosis in general and in particular how it is identified in primary care and how it can be managed in a patient focused manner

Debbie Scott is a Registered Nurse and Midwife with over 30 years of NHS experience. She holds a Master’s degree in Public Health and has worked across the full spectrum of maternity care, including acute clinical environments, community settings, and specialist services.

Debbie has extensive operational and leadership experience and currently serves as a Consultant Midwife for the Yorkshire and Humber Maternal Medicine Network, a role she has held for the past three years. She has been a core part of the Maternal Medicine Network since its establishment, contributing to the strategic development and implementation of the network across the region.

Sypnosis

MATRON (Maternal Audit on ThRmbosis Outcome and decisioN) is a multicentre UK cohort study examining high-risk and intermediate-high-risk pulmonary embolism in pregnancy. It evaluates management patterns, access to advanced therapies and PERT, and maternal and neonatal outcomes to inform future clinical guidance.

Dr Giulia Simini is a haematology trainee within the NHS and a physician-scientist with a strong clinical and academic focus on haemostasis and thrombosis. She obtained her medical degree from Sapienza University of Rome and subsequently pursued combined clinical and research training in the UK. Dr Simini is actively involved in national and international collaborative research through HaemSTAR, contributing to multicentre projects addressing bleeding and thrombotic complications in pregnancy and the peripartum period. Her work in this area centres on complex haemostatic disorders, multidisciplinary maternal care pathways, and the generation of high-quality clinical evidence to inform practice in obstetric haematology. In parallel, she is undertaking doctoral research at University College London, where her work focuses on translational approaches to inherited bleeding disorders, including gene-based therapeutic strategies. Her academic interests span obstetric haematology, haemostasis and thrombosis, and translational research

methodologies.

Synopsis: This talk will address VTE risk in abortion care, outlining the scale of the population and current UK service delivery. It will examine implementation of the new risk assessment tool from NHS England, the limitations of the evidence for risk identification and prevention in this setting, and the need for comprehensive pregnancy VTE guidance that explicitly includes abortion care.

Patricia Lohr is an obstetrician–gynaecologist who completed subspecialty training in Family Planning and Contraceptive Research at the University of Pittsburgh. She is Director of Research and Innovation at British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS), the largest charitable provider of abortion care in the UK. She previously served as BPAS Medical Director from 2007 to 2024. Patricia’s work focuses on health-service innovation, quality of care, and equitable access in abortion services. She is widely published in peer-reviewed journals and has contributed to national and international evidence-based clinical guidelines on contraception and abortion. She serves as an Expert Advisor to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), is Co-Chair of the British Society of Abortion Care Providers, and an Associate Editor of BMJ Sexual & Reproductive Health.

My presentation: VTE Risk Identification and Prevention in Aboriton Care

Prof Roopen Arya is Professor of Thrombosis and Haemostasis and Clinical Director for Haematological Medicine at King's College Hospital. He is also Director of King's Thrombosis Centre and Director of the National VTE Exemplar Centres Network in England. 

Roopen trained in Medicine at Oxford and completed his PhD in Molecular Medicine and Haematology training at King's. He was MRC Clinical Training Fellow at King's and Clinical Lecturer in Haematology before his appointment as Consultant Haematologist in 1999. His research interests focus on thrombosis, thrombophilia and anticoagulation. Advancing patient care around venous thromboembolism (VTE) prevention and treatment has been a long term theme in his group. The interface between thrombosis and women's health is also a major interest. 

Emma Gee is a nurse consultant in thrombosis and coagulation at King's College Hospital in London and leads the VTE Specialists Network (VSN), a National network for nurses and allied health professionals. Emma is also the associate director of the VTE Exemplar Centres Network, a National Network of centres with a track record of high quality VTE prevention care. 

She qualified as a nurse at the University of Brighton in 2001 and gained experience in a variety of specialities post registration before joining King's College Hospital in 2004 where she worked in critical care. In 2007 she joined King's Thrombosis Team and subsequently become a nurse consultant in 2014, leading a team of nurses covering anticoagulation, VTE prevention and DVT management. 

She has a specialist interest in leadership, completing an MSc in Advanced Practice and Leadership and the prestigious Florence Nightingale Foundation Leadership Scholarship.

Synopsis:

RCOG Score 5 at booking but declined thromboprophylaxis and for the majority of the pregnancy Developed right sided pulmonary embolism 6 days post-partum

What have we learnt?

Alex trained as a nurse in Leicester and qualified in 1993 and has since worked in ENT, Renal, Diabetes, Surgical Day Case before moving into the Haemostasis and Thrombosis specialities. She is currently the VTE Prevention Clinical Nurse Specialist at George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust in Nuneaton. She has implemented the VTE Prevention CNS role at Kettering General Hospital and Sheffield Teaching Hospitals prior to working at the George Eliot. She has also been the Haemophilia and Haematology Obstetric CNS while at Kettering and the VTE Ambulatory Clinic Nursing Lead while at Sheffield. Alex is the digital secretary for the VTE Specialist Network and has a special interest in education. She is currently one of the nurse representatives on the British Society for Haematology Annual Scientific Meeting programme committee

Synopsis

This presentation explores a real-world case of hospital‑associated thrombosis to demonstrate the practical application of national VTE prevention guidelines and current evidence. Through step‑by‑step analysis of key decision points, it highlights the complexities of clinical judgement in dynamic situations and showcases how reflective case review can strengthen risk assessment, enhance guideline implementation, and improve patient outcomes.

Jeru is a VTE Prevention Nurse Specialist at King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust with over a decade of acute nursing experience. Since qualifying in 2011 and relocating to the UK in 2015, he has

built substantial expertise in cardiovascular and surgical practice before advancing into thrombosis prevention leadership.

He provides strategic oversight of VTE risk assessment and evidence based thromboprophylaxis programmes, driving compliance with national standards and strengthening clinical governance systems. Through multidisciplinary collaboration, audit, education, and quality improvement initiatives, he leads system-level efforts to reduce hospital-associated thrombosis and embed sustainable patient safety practices across the organisation.

Sarah Garvey, Advanced Nurse Practitioner in Venous Thromboembolism in Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Ireland & Nurse lead for the National Clinical Programme in VTE in Ireland.

Sarah Garvey is part of the National Clinical Guideline Taskforce that authored the National Clinical Guideline on VTE – Eve’s Protocol. She chairs the National Clinical Programme’s Patient Information working group, and is also a member of the working group for the development of national post-PE follow-up pathways. She is a founding member of the Thrombosis Nursing Network Ireland (TNNI) and the Nursing faculty that coordinates VTE Together.

Synopsis:

Jig’s talk will explore the issue of weight-based dosing when prescribing VTE thromboprophylaxis with a particular focus on low molecular weight heparin.

Dr Jignesh Patel is a clinical academic pharmacist based at King’s College Hospital and King’s College London. Jig’s research focuses on addressing anticoagulant dosing issues, where uncertainties exist and has a particular focus on anticoagulant use as it relates to women’s health. Jig is currently undertaking an NIHR advanced clinical academic fellowship aiming to improve the efficacy and safety of intravenous unfractionated heparin.

Dr Susie Shapiro is a Consultant Haematologist and works entirely in the field of haemostasis and thrombosis: haemophilia and other bleeding disorders, thrombosis and anticoagulation at Oxford University Hospitals. She has particular interest in improving patient safety, with projects to optimise anticoagulation winning national awards. She is also an Associate Professor of Haematology at Oxford University and her research interests complement her clinical work.

Short synopsis: Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC) is a new and rapidly expanding area of acute hospital medicine. Hospital VTE prevention guidelines for inpatients do not address SDEC patients. Dr Shapiro will discuss a recent study she led to understand the risk of VTE associated with SDEC, and discuss whether we need to address this gap.

Audrey Purcell is the Chief 2 Pharmacist in St John of God University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland. She has worked for over 20 years as a specialist, mental health, Clinical Pharmacist. She is also an Honorary Senior Clinical Lecturer in the School of Pharmacy in the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. Audrey has a specialist interest in VTE prophylaxis in mental health in-patients and has published her research in this area. She was the lead on a recent publication titled “Venous thromboembolism prophylaxis in adults hospitalised for psychiatric illness: an evidence-based clinical practice guideline developed using GRADE”

Prof Roopen Arya is Professor of Thrombosis and Haemostasis and Clinical Director for Haematological Medicine at King's College Hospital. He is also Director of King's Thrombosis Centre and Director of the National VTE Exemplar Centres Network in England. 

Roopen trained in Medicine at Oxford and completed his PhD in Molecular Medicine and Haematology training at King's. He was MRC Clinical Training Fellow at King's and Clinical Lecturer in Haematology before his appointment as Consultant Haematologist in 1999. His research interests focus on thrombosis, thrombophilia and anticoagulation. Advancing patient care around venous thromboembolism (VTE) prevention and treatment has been a long term theme in his group. The interface between thrombosis and women's health is also a major interest. 

Professor Alikhan is a Consultant Haematologist at the Thrombosis Centre, University Hospital of Wales, with a specialist interest in venous thrombosis and anticoagulation. He is also Honorary Professor in the Division of Population Medicine at Cardiff University School of Medicine. He received his medical degree from the University of London and completed postgraduate training in London and Oxford. He defended his doctoral thesis in 2003 on venous thromboembolism and prophylaxis in medical patients and was UK National Lead Investigator for the MARINER rivaroxaban thromboprophylaxis study.  He chaired the British Society for Haematology Cancer Associated Thrombosis Guideline Committee and was UK Chief Investigator for the CARAVAGGIO apixaban trial in cancer-associated thrombosis, and the phase III ASTER and MAGNOLIA abelacimab studies, evaluating Factor XI inhibition, in cancer-associated venous thromboembolism.

Synopsis:

Hospital‑acquired thrombosis (HAT) is the leading cause of preventable patient death, yet identifying and investigating cases is often slow, retrospective, and incomplete. To address this, the thrombosis and digital services teams at The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Trust partnered with Solventum to develop the Follow‑Up Finder system.

Using artificial intelligence, it scans all radiology reports in real time and immediately flags new venous thromboembolism (VTE) diagnoses in the electronic medical record.

This enables:
• Rapid clinical action: Thrombosis nurses can quickly review patients and optimise early VTE care.
• Stronger prevention: Every new HAT is automatically identified and assessed to determine whether prevention measures could have been improved.

After two years in use, the system has improved early care for one‑third of patients with VTE and reduced potentially avoidable HATs by 50%.

Dr Kate Musgrave is a Consultant Haematologist at Newcastle and an Honorary Senior Clinical Lecturer at Newcastle University. She specialises in the management of venous thromboembolism and bleeding disorders. She completed her medical training at the University of Cambridge and University College London, followed by a PhD in Medical Sciences at Newcastle University. Her research focuses on cancer‑associated thrombosis and improving outcomes for patients at risk of blood clots. Dr Musgrave is committed to delivering high‑quality, evidence‑based care and has authored multiple peer‑reviewed publications. She serves as the Thrombosis Lead for The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Stephane qualified as a Doctor of Pharmacy in 1994 in Nantes (France) and moved to the UK in 1998 where he worked as a community pharmacist for 14 years. He transferred to the secondary care sector in 2009 as clinical pharmacist within a treatment centre providing elective procedures in major orthopaedic surgery, general surgery, gynaecology, ENT and ophthalmology specialties.

Stephane developed a particular interest in anticoagulation, especially postoperative Venous Thrombosis prevention and perioperative management of anti-thrombotic drugs. He created a thrombosis committee for the hospital of which he is the lead and is now heavily involved in the development of national policies for VTE prophylaxis and perioperative use of anti-thrombotic medicines.

Synopsis:

Insights from a Perioperative Anticoagulation Service" - a brief overview of our perioperative anticoagulation service, showing how it supports safe decision making for patients undergoing surgery. I'll share a challenging case or two to highlight issues we face and will outline key areas where this area could be improved or updated to meet current needs.

Dr Lea Haskins is a Specialty Doctor in Haematology at the Haemophilia, Thrombosis and Immunology Centre at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh. Her work spans non-malignant haematology with a special interest the management of bleeding and thrombotic disorders as well as haemoglobinopathies. She has recently taken on a role supporting the perioperative anticoagulation service, helping patients and colleagues navigate anticoagulation decisions around surgery. She enjoys collaborating with the wider multidisciplinary team to provide evidence-based and practical patient-centred care. 

Professor Catherine Bagot is a Consultant Haematologist at Glasgow Royal Infirmary (GRI), specialising in Haemostasis and Thrombosis, and is the co-director of the West of Scotland Haemophilia Comprehensive Care Centre. She is also an Honorary Professor at the School of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Health, University of Glasgow.

She is Past President of the British Society for Haemostasis and Thrombosis (BSHT) and on the Executive Committee for the UK Thrombosis Research Network (UKTReN). She is also a member of the Thrombosis UK Professional Advisory Council, the UK ITP forum, and a medical advisor to the UK ITP Support Association.

She is the joint lead of the Haematology Obstetric service in North Glasgow, chair of the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (GGC) Thrombosis Committee and lead clinician for the Greater Glasgow and Clyde Anticoagulation Service (GCAS).

Her clinical interests include obstetric haematology, venous thrombosis treatment and prevention, inherited bleeding disorders, and immune thrombocytopaenia (ITP).

Her main research interest is the application of thrombin generation to clinical thrombotic issues. She is principal investigator for a number of international trials investigating new treatments for haemophilia and ITP, and a sub investigator on UK research projects investigating haemostatic abnormalities in patients with acute and long COVID-19.

Prof Hunt has extensive clinical experience of thrombotic and acquired bleeding disorders and obstetric hematology and runs a very active research group with over 300 peer-reviewed publications to her name.

In June 2019, Professor Beverley Hunt was awarded an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours for her services to medicine. Commenting, Professor Hunt said, “I was really surprised to receive a letter offering me an OBE. I think it’s not really for me, but consider it an acknowledgment of all the good work that the teams I work with and carry out at the hospital, nationally with Thrombosis UK and internationally with World Thrombosis Day. I hope it will help indirectly in the recognition that the fields of thrombosis and bleeding are very important in healthcare and need more awareness and research.”

Prof Hunt describes herself as “Driven, totally committed and passionate about improving care and prevention of VTE. I am proud that Thrombosis UK has been instrumental in helping to highlight, inform and support national changes to improve patient care and the management of VTE”. “As Trustee and Medical Lead, I am proud to be part of Thrombosis UK, working to successfully raise awareness and understanding of VTE, from causes and prevention to patient experience and improved care.

Peter is business consultant, father of two, and former competitive swimmer, who brings a powerful patient perspective to conversations about healthcare, diagnosis, and patient advocacy. In this session he shares his personal experience of developing and being treated for Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT), reflecting on the challenges of recognising symptoms, navigating the healthcare system, and the importance of persistence when something does not feel right. Through his story, Peter highlights the critical role patients can play in their own care and the importance of listening to the patient voice in achieving timely diagnosis and better clinical outcomes.

Dr Matthew Fay, GP Director

Dr Matthew Fay is a Leeds Medical School graduate, graduating in 1992, very much to the Dean’s

surprise!

After enjoying a varied few years in hospital practice he became a General Practitioner at Westcliffe Medical Practice in 1999.

In 2001 he established a GPwSI cardiology service for North Bradford PCT. Dr Fay has a special interest in thrombosis and was National Clinical Lead for Atrial Fibrillation with NHS Improvement Heart & Stroke.

Was appointed a trustee of Thrombosis UK for the work he has been undertaking to raise the profile of thrombosis in general and in particular how it is identified in primary care and how it can be managed in a patient focused manner