Role Models: Community Cardiology

"Working in the community is extremely rewarding and is definitely the way forward for as many services as possible."

Having completed my medical school training at Birmingham University, I completed my HO and SHO posts at QEH/ Selly Oak and Sandwell. At that stage I was unable to decide which speciality I wanted to pursue. I knew exactly what I didn’t want to do. The cardiology registrar at Sandwell, had worked at Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital as a SHO and when she noticed an advertisement for a cardiology training post, she suggested I applied. So I did, I was appointed and moved to Liverpool two months later. That was December 1996 and I’ve been here ever since.

Although I really enjoyed coronary intervention, I preferred sleep and so I completed dual accreditation and became a cardiologist at a busy local DGH in 2005. I learned cardiac CT, helping to set up the service with my radiology colleagues; was heavily involved with training and education; became the trust’s heart failure lead and developed a very rudimentary cardio-oncology service.

However, after 10 years I wanted a change and was able to return to LHCH as a community cardiologist. I love my job, although I know many of my colleagues would hate what I do! I work as part of a team, providing cardiology clinics in local primary care resource centres. We have all the usual diagnostics available in a one-stop service, enabling patients in a deprived area of Merseyside to access care more easily. I also support three local community heart failure teams. I have no inpatient work or on-call commitment, which significantly improved my work-life balance. I have the time to pursue other interests in education and mentoring.

Working in the community is extremely rewarding and is definitely the way forward for as many services as possible.