Non-Executive Director

NHS Lanarkshire / NHS Education for Scotland

Ally spent 21 years as a firefighter but in 2008, he was diagnosed with a blood cancer and in 2014 had to retire from the job he loved. As a result of his diagnosis, Ally established a partnership between the Fire and Rescue Service and the charity Anthony Nolan, which educates young people about stem cell, blood and organ donation and recruits them onto the stem cell register. This partnership has recruited 20,000 young people to the register and potentially saved 105 lives. He is passionate about Patient and Public Involvement and has provided input to many charities, research studies and committees. He Chairs a Patient and Public Involvement Panel for Cancer Research UK and is a member of two of their research funding committees, he is a Trustee of Blood Cancer UK and the first patient to Chair their Research Governance Committee and he is also a Non-Executive Director of NHS Lanarkshire and of NHS Education for Scotland. He was awarded an MBE in the 2018 Queen’s Birthday Honours for services to charity.

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