Consultant Cardiologist - Heart Failure and Device Therapies

East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust (Royal Blackburn and Burnley General Teaching Hospitals) seeks a dynamic Consultant Cardiologist (with a Special Interest in Heart Failure, Device Therapy and Stress Echo) to join its expanding Cardiology Department. The successful candidate will join 6 consultant colleagues (4 Interventional and 2 Non-Invasive) and 5.6 WTE Specialists in Cardiology in providing a modern comprehensive service and contribute to attaining the national targets. The primary focus of this post is to provide consultant level leadership for the expanding heart failure and cardiac device therapy services. Expertise in heart failure, cardiac device therapy and stress echo is essential. There is no commitment to General Medicine and the post holder will participate in a 1 in 8 or 9 General Cardiology rota. The post holder will be expected to contribute to the ongoing educational programs including audit.

The successful candidate will join 6 Consultants (4 Interventional, 1 Imaging, 1 Heart Failure/Devices) and 4.6 WTE Cardiology Specialists in providing a modern comprehensive service and contribute to attaining the national targets. The primary focus of post 1 is to provide consultant level leadership for the expanding non invasive services in cardiology. Expertise in echocardiography, cardiac CT and/or cardiac MRI is essential. Post 2 will support the expansion and development of the local and regional heart failure services including device therapy. Expertise in stress echo is essential for this post. There is no commitment to General Medicine for both posts and the post holder will participate in a 1 in 8 or 9 General Cardiology rota. There will be commitments to provide specialist inreach/outreach to AMU, medical/surgical wards and ITU. The post holder will be expected to contribute to the ongoing educational programs including audit.

The Cardiology department consists of a 10 bed Coronary Care Unit, 28 bed ward, day case ward and a Cardiac Investigations Unit. More than 700 PCIs, 1500 angiograms and 500 device implantations were performed at Royal Blackburn Hospital in the previous 12 months. A comprehensive echo service including TTE, TOE, stress and 3D echocardiography is delivered across both sites. There is on-site Cardiac MRI, CTCA and Myocardial Perfusion Imaging. The inpatient cardiology service will be moving to a new Heart Care Centre in late 2023 or early 2024.

East Lancashire has the highest coded admissions with Heart Failure in the region. Expansion of this highly valued service is a Trust and Network priority. Our service is supported by 5 Specialist Heart Failure Nurses (Community based with hospital inreach) and a well established highly skilled cardiac physiologists team including 4 IBHRE/BHRS accredited physiologists. We are a high volume cardiac device implanting centre including ICD and CRT procedures.

The post has 8 clinical PAs and 2 SPAs. There may be additional negotiable clinical and supporting PAs. All new appointees will have a job review in 3 months.

The post has 8 clinical PAs and 2 SPAs. There may be additional negotiable clinical and supporting PAs. All new appointees will have a job review in 3 months.

East Lancashire encompasses areas of outstanding beauty including the Ribble Valley and the Forest of Bowland. There are outstanding public primary and secondary educational facilities including Grammar Schools. The Lake District and Yorkshire Dales are within easy reach and there are excellent transport links to Manchester, Liverpool, Blackpool and Leeds

East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust has close links with the medical schools at both UCLAN and University of Lancaster.

Informal enquiries and visits are encouraged. Interested candidates can contact Dr K P Balachandran (Clinical Director) on 01254 735145 or at kanarath.balachandran@elht.nhs.uk