BSH Report by Rhona Bowie

In April, I was engaged by Novartis UK to be part of a panel discussion at the British Society for Haematology’s 65th annual convention in Glasgow – the largest haematology event in the U.K. Each year the BSH hosts healthcare professionals, researchers and industry leaders to share key findings from new developments across the field of haematology. I was joined by Chair, Mervyn Morgan, Professor Nichola Cooper and Dr Charlotte Bradbury to discuss the impact of Immune Thrombocytopenia Purpura (ITP) on patients. I discussed my experience of living with chronic ITP for the last six years and how this impacts many aspects of my life; from specific challenges like fatigue to my overall wellbeing.

It was fantastic to listen to both Professor Cooper and Dr Bradbury’s perspectives and expertise on patient informed care. As a patient, it’s great to see conversations about how we can bridge the gap between patients and healthcare professionals to ensure patients voices are heard. I was happy to see the panel reach capacity, with around 100 healthcare professionals in the room, showing their interest in the patient experience and highlighting the need for more of these discussions. Thank you to the Itp Support Association, the wonderful team at Novartis (Edward Foster, Jiten Mistry & Stuart Ferguson) and BSH for having me!

A note that this panel was a non-promotional event hosted by Novartis.