Tom Bashford

PTCF Ambassador

Dr Tom Bashford MBBS MBiochem PhD MRCP FRCA

Tom is Assistant Professor in Healthcare Systems (Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge) and Consultant Neuroanaesthetist (Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust) with interests in Global health, perioperative medicine, systems engineering, neurotrauma.

Tom’s principal academic interest is in developing a system understanding of interventions to improve peri-operative care in low-income settings, working closely with the NIHR Global Health Research Group on Neurotrauma. His introduction to global health came working with VSO in Ethiopia between 2011-2012, during which time he closely worked with Lifebox Foundation, and for which he was awarded the AAGBI/MPS Patient Safety Prize. He has worked in Myanmar with the Cambridge-Yangon Trauma Intervention Project since 2013, and the Uganda Cambridge Partnership since 2020.

Tom advises on many committees including:

Cambridge Global Health Partnerships (Committee member)
Cambridge Public Health (Theme Lead and Steering Committee)
The Tropical Health and Education Trust (Honorary Advisor)
Cambridge International Infections Initiative (Steering Committee)
NIHR Global Health Group on Neurotrauma / Acquired Brain and Spine Injury (Co-Investigator)
Improving Care in Elderly Neurosurgery Initiative (Steering Committee)
World Anaesthesia Society (Past President)
Neuroanaesthesia & Critical Care Society (Member)

“Trauma is the great unrecognised global pandemic, claiming more lives than malaria, HIV, TB, and Covid-19 combined. The greatest burden of this trauma is in those countries with the most fragile healthcare systems, and a fundamental component of any trauma system is the performance of the clinical teams within it. PTC is visionary in realising that not only are individuals the most effective agents of change within a healthcare system, but also that by integrating their teaching model into existing curricula to be delivered by local faculty they can support a sustainable intervention to improve trauma care for those populations who need it most.”