The College is extremely sad to learn of the sudden passing of Professor John Cash CBE, a past President of the College and a friend and colleague of many of us.
Professor Cash graduated from Edinburgh University in 1961 following his schooling at Ashville College, Harrogate. In 1969 he was awarded a World Health Organization Travelling Scholarship to the United States and shortly afterwards was appointed deputy director of the South East Scotland Regional Blood Transfusion Centre. He became the national medical and scientific director of the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service in 1988, a post which he held for nine years. He was president of the British Blood Transfusion Society from 1997 to 1999.
Cash's academic approach to this speciality resulted in the award of a honorary professorship at Edinburgh University. He made important contributions in the scientific literature to problems of fibrinolytic mechanisms and he published 'Progress in Transfusion Medicine' in 1988. His authority in his speciality was recognised by his chairmanship of the government inquiry into the National Blood Authority. He became President of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh in 1994 until 1997.
Professor Angela Thomas, Acting President of the College, said:
“I am terribly sad to hear of John’s passing. I will remember him with great fondness; he was an invaluable source of personal and professional support to me during my early career in Edinburgh. Not only that, he was always such fun to be around and brought a smile to many faces.
“On behalf of the College, to which he committed a significant amount of energy and enthusiasm over the years, I send our deepest sympathies to his wife, Angela, his children, grandchildren, family and friends. We are all thinking of you at this difficult time.”
