Clinical Lecturer in Anaesthesia
Honorary Specialist Registrar
Interests: neuroanaesthesia & neurotrauma, global health, systems engineering
Email: tb508@cam.ac.uk
ORCiD: 0000-0003-0228-9779
Previously an NIHR Academic Clinical Fellow in the UDA, Tom is a Clinical Lecturer in Anaesthesia at the University of Cambridge, and a Specialist Registrar in Anaesthesia at Addenbrooke’s Hospital. His academic interest is in developing a systems understanding of interventions to improve anaesthetic care in low income settings, with his PhD funded by the NIHR Global Health Research Group on Neurotrauma within the Healthcare Design Group in the Department of Engineering. This was supported by a WD Armstrong Studentship from the University of Cambridge School of Technology, and involved systems mapping of traumatic brain injury care in Myanmar.
Tom’s introduction to global health came with VSO in Ethiopia between 2011-2012, during which time he worked closely 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 sits on the Advisory Committee of Cambridge Global Health Partnerships. Tom is the past President of the World Anaesthesia Society, the Specialist Society for UK anaesthetists interested in global health, and an Honorary Advisor to the Tropical Health and Education Trust (THET). From September 2022, Tom has been appointed as the University Lecturer in Healthcare Systems at the University of Cambridge Department of Engineering.
Qualifications
- PhD Engineering: A Systems Approach to Global Health. University of Cambridge, 2021
- FRCA Fellow of the Royal College of Anaesthetists, 2014
- MRCP Member of the Royal College of Physicians, 2010
- MBBS Clinical Medicine. St George’s Hospital Medical School, University of London, 2007
- MBiochem (Hons) Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry. University of Oxford, 2002
Publications
Systems approach to improving traumatic brain injury care in Myanmar: a mixed-methods study from lived experience to discrete event simulation.
Clark D, Joannides A, Adeleye AO, Bajamal AH, Bashford T…Hutchinson PJ et al on behalf of the Global Neurotrauma Outcomes Study (GNOS) collaborative. Casemix, management, and mortality of patients receiving emergency neurosurgery for traumatic brain injury in the Global Neurotrauma Outcomes Study: a prospective observational cohort study. Lancet Neurology. 2022 doi:10.1016/S1474-4422(22)00037-0
Stubbs DJ, Davies B, Hutchinson P, Menon DK; Improving Care in Elderly Neurosurgery Initiative (ICENI). Challenges and opportunities in the care of chronic subdural haematoma: perspectives from a multi-disciplinary working group on the need for change. Br J Neurosurg. 2022 Jan 28:1-9. doi:10.1080/02688697.2021.2024508.
Whiffin CJ, Smith BG, S. Selveindran M, Bashford T, Esene IN, Mee H, Barki MT, Baticulon RE, Khu KJ, Hutchinson PJ, Kolias AG. Qualitative research methods in neurosurgery: an unexplored avenue. World Neurosurgery. 2021 doi:10.1016/j.wneu.2021.12.040.
Boddy N, Barclay S, Bashford T, Clarkson PJ. How can communication to GPs at hospital discharge be improved? A systems approach. BJGP Open. 2021 Oct 7:BJGPO.2021.0148. doi: 10.3399/BJGPO.2021.0148. Epub ahead of print.
Whiffin CJ, Smith BG, Esene IN, Karekezi C, Bashford T … Figaji A et al Neurosurgeons’ experiences of conducting and disseminating clinical research in low-income and middle-income countries: a reflexive thematic analysis BMJ Open 2021;11:e051806. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-051806
Schell CO, Khalid K, Wharton-Smith A The EECC Collaborators, et al Essential Emergency and Critical Care: a consensus among global clinical experts BMJ Global Health 2021;6:e006585.
Mazzola F, Howell V, Bashford T. Launching an online resource for Good Practice in Volunteering for Anaesthetists. Abstract Book, 17th World Congress of Anaesthesiologists, September 1–5, 2021. Anesthesia & Analgesia 2021;13:3S – p 1-1973
Selveindran SM, Hutchinson P, Brayne C, …Bashford T et al. 3C.003 Global prevention of neurotrauma-road traffic collisions (GPONT-RTC). Injury Prevention 2021;27:A24.
Smith B, Whiffin C, Esene I, Karekezi C Bashford T…Rubiano A et al. Neurotrauma clinicians’ perspectives on the contextual challenges associated with long-term follow-up following Traumatic Brain Injury in Low- and Middle-income countries: a qualitative study protocol. BMJ Open. 2021;11:e041442. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-041442
Bukauskas A, Koronaki A, Lee TU, Ott D, Al Asali MW, Jalia A, Bashford T, Gatóo A, Newman J, Gattas JM, Shah DU, Ramage M. Curved-crease origami face shields for infection control. PLoS One. 2021 Feb 8;16(2):e0245737. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0245737.
Komashie A, Ward J, Bashford T, Dickerson T, Kaya GK, Liu Y, Kuhn I, Gunay A, Kohler K, Boddy N, O’Kelly E, Masters J, Dean J, Meads C, Clarkson PJ. A systems approach to health service design, delivery and improvement: A systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ Open. 2021 11:e037667. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-037667.
Bashford T, Gore-Booth J, James J, Pickering S, Paris, B, Ross O, Shamambo N. Chapter 1: Context (Humanitarian Assistance and International Development). In Craven R, Edgecombe H, Gupta B (Eds). Oxford Specialist Handbook of Global Anaesthesia. Oxford. 2020. ISBN 978-0-19-880982-1. https://doi.org/10.1093/med/9780198809821.001.0001
Bashford T, Morriss W, Roques C, Shamambo N, Wilkes M. Chapter 5: Perioperative Care (Consent in global anaesthesia). In Craven R, Edgecombe H, Gupta B (Eds). Oxford Specialist Handbook of Global Anaesthesia. Oxford. 2020. ISBN 978-0-19-880982-1. https://doi.org/10.1093/med/9780198809821.001.0001
Whiffin CJ, Smith BG, Esene IN, Karekezi C, Bashford T…Kolias A et al. Neurosurgeons’ experiences of conducting and disseminating clinical research in low- and middle- income countries: a qualitative study protocol. BMJ Open 2020;10:e038939. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2020-03893
Stubbs DJ, Davies BM, Bashford T, et al Identification of factors associated with morbidity and postoperative length of stay in surgically managed chronic subdural haematoma using electronic health records: a retrospective cohort study BMJ Open 2020;10:e037385.http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2020-037385
Clark D, Joannides A, Abdallah OI, Adeleye AO, Bajamal AH, Bashford T…Hutchinson PJ et al on behalf of the Global Neurotrauma Outcomes Study (GNOS) collaborative, Management and outcomes following emergency surgery for traumatic brain injury – a multi-centre, international, prospective cohort study (the Global Neurotrauma Outcomes Study), International Journal of Surgery Protocols (2020), doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isjp.2020.02.001
Wenlock RD, Bath MF, Bashford T, Kohler K, Hutchinson PJ (2020) The global variation of medical student engagement in teaching: Implications for medical electives. PLoS ONE 15(2): e0229338. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0229338
Bath M, Bashford T, Fitzgerald JE. What is ‘Global Surgery’? Defining the Multidisciplinary Interface between Surgery, Anaesthesia, and Public Health. BMJ Global Health. 2019:e001808 http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjgh-2019-001808
Bashford T, Joannides A, Phuyal K, Bhatta S, Mytton J, Harrison R, Hutchinson P. Nuancing the need for speed: temporal health system strengthening in low-income countries. BMJ Global Health. 2019. . doi:10.1136/bmjgh-2019-001816
Howell V, Bashford T. Tropical diseases and anaesthesia. Anaesthesia & Intensive Care Medicine. 2019. doi:10.1016/j.mpaic.2019.06.008
Bashford T, Vercueil A. Anaesthetic research in low- and middle-income countries. Anaesthesia. 2018. doi:10.1111/anae.14518
Moonesinghe SR, Bashford T, Wagstaff D. Implementing risk calculators – time for a Trojan horse?. British Journal of Anaesthesia. 2018. 121(6): 1192e1195 doi:10.1016/j.bja.2018.09.025
Clarkson J, Dean J, Ward J, Komashie A, Bashford T. A systems approach to healthcare: from thinking to practice. Future Healthcare Journal. 2018. 5(3). 151-155 doi: 10.7861/futurehosp.5-3-151.
Bashford T, Nwe Myint PP, Win S, Thu M, Naing MM, Burnstein RM, Hlaing TT, Brealey E, Hutchinson PJA, Clarkson PJ. A systems approach to trauma care in Myanmar: from health partnership to academic collaboration. Future Healthcare Journal. 2018. 5(3). 171-175. doi: 10.7861/futurehosp.5-3-171.
Abou El Ela Bourquin B, Gnanakumar S, Bath MF, Bashford T, Menon DK, Hutchinson PJA. The international health elective: a stepping stone for tomorrow’s global surgeons and anaesthetists. Perspect Med Educ. 2018. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40037-018-0439-4
Bashford T, Clarkson PJ, Menon DK, Hutchinson PJA. Unpicking the Gordian knot: a systems approach to traumatic brain injury care in low and middle income countries. BMJ Global Health 2018;3:e000768. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjgh-2018-000768
Gibbs A, Bashford T, Wilson IA. Pulse oximetry in a high income setting: how big is the gap? Anaesthesia. 2017. 72(12): 1565–1567. https://doi.org/10.1111/anae.14146
Bashford T, Howell V. Anaesthesia & Tropical Disease 2. BJA Education. 2017. Mar 18(30), p75-81 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bjae.2017.11.009
Bashford T, Howell V. Anaesthesia & Tropical Disease 1. BJA Education. 2017. Feb 18(2) , p35 – 40 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bjae.2017.10.004
Bashford T, Reshamwalla S, McAuley J, Allen NH, McNatt Z, Gebremedhen Y. Implementation of the WHO Safe Surgery Checklist in an Ethiopian Referral Hospital. Patient Safety in Surgery. 2014 Mar 8(16). https://dx.doi.org/10.1186%2F1754-9493-8-16
Walker IA, Bashford T, Fitzgerald E, Wilson IH. Improving Anesthesia Safety in Low-Income Regions of the World. Current Anesthesiology Reports. 2014. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40140-014-0056-7
Bashford T. Anaesthesia in Ethiopia: providers’ perspectives on the current state of the service. Tropical Doctor. 2014 Jan 4(1) p6-13. https://doi.org/10.1177/0049475513512642
Bashford T. Quality Improvement in Low Resource Settings: An Ethiopian Experience. British Journal of Hospital Medicine. 2013 May 79(5) p.286-288. https://doi.org/10.12968/hmed.2013.74.5.286
Public engagement
2021 Healthcare systems: the future of global health
Essay for the Coalition for Global Prosperity as part of the collection: The Future of Aid, Development in the 2020s. Published at Westminster Abbey, September 2021 (https://www.coalitionforglobalprosperity.com/dr-tom-bashford).
2021 Five Questions with…Dr Tom Bashford
Interview with THET exploring why expanding access to surgical care is so important, how we can ensure progress made towards health equity is not lost due to Covid-19, and what more needs to be done in this International Year of Health and Care Workers to ensure their voices remain heard.(https://www.thet.org/five-questions-with-dr-tom-bashford/)
2021 Trauma care in Myanmar: the bigger picture
Interviewed for the ‘Anaesthesia Compass’ podcast exploring different aspects of global anaesthesia (https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/anaesthesia-compass/id1519510083).
2019 Partnership, collaboration, and working toward shared goals
Blog for THET exploring issues around collaboration within international health partnerships.
(https://www.thet.org/dr-tom-bashford-on-partnership-collaboration-and-working-towards-shared-goals/)
2016 ‘The Checklist Effect’
Interviewed for Lifebox film detailing international efforts to implement the WHO Surgical Safety Checklist
http://www.lifebox.org/checklist-effect-big-screen/
2012 ‘Into Thin Air’
BMJ Blog in support of Lifebox BMJ Christmas Appeal 2012
http://blogs.bmj.com/bmj/2012/12/11/bmj-christmas-appeal-tom-bashford-into-thin-air/
2012 ‘Road to Safer Surgery’, Yekatit 12 Hospital, Addis Ababa
Produced in association with the Clinton Health Access Initiative, Ethiopia
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJ4NrJJrP0Q
2012 ‘How to Implement the Safe Surgery Checklist’, Yekatit 12 Hospital, Addis Ababa
Produced in association with the Clinton Health Access Initiative, Ethiopia
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFG9ihbPT-A&feature=channel&list=UL
2012 Voluntary Service Overseas: Anaesthesia in Ethiopia
A video detailing some of the work of this placement can be found at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWl8qau0glg&feature=youtu.be