Cardiology (heart)

The cardiology department offers inpatient and outpatient treatment for patients with coronary heart disease, arrhythmias, heart failure and any other heart problems.
We also work with GPs to provide some services in the community. Our consultants work at St George's Hospital, the Royal Brompton Hospital and St Peter's Hospital in Chertsey where they carry out invasive cardiac procedures.

Services offered

• Inpatient ward (C6, St Helier Hospital)

• Chest pain unit and coronary care unit (Epsom and St Helier hospitals)

• Daily outpatient clinics

• Rapid access chest pain clinic

• Rapid access atrial fibrillation clinic

• Specialist arrhythmia clinic

• Heart failure service

• Pacing and defibrillator clinic including biventricular pacemaker optimization

• Cardiac rehabilitation

• DC cardioversion service

• Assessment of patients with a family history of sudden cardiac death

Investigations and tests

• Electrocardiogram (ECG) and signal averaged ECG;

• Exercise testing (treadmill);

• Echocardiography and contrast echocardiography;

• Transoesophageal echocardiography;

• Holter monitoring, Novacor, event recorders;

• Tilt testing and autonomic function;

• 24-hour blood pressure monitoring;

• Ajmaline and adenosine testing;

• Stress echocardiography.

We also run a community ECG programme with local GP practices to provide rapid ECG interpretation.

Invasive procedures

Invasive procedures, including the following, are carried out by Dr Richard Bogle and Dr Usha Prasad at St George's Hospital, Dr John Foran at the Royal Brompton Hospital and Dr Sola Odemuyiwa at St Peter's Hospital in Chertsey:

• coronary angiography

• percutaneous coronary angioplasty and stenting (PCI) 

• intravascular ultrasound and pressure wire studies 

• arrhythmia ablation

• pacemaker insertion including biventricular devices and cardiac defibrillators.

How to access services

Referral from your GP is needed for most services including outpatient clinic appointments, tests and the rapid access chest pain clinic.

In an emergency, please go to the accident and emergency department (A&E). You will be referred to the cardiology department if you have cardiac problems. In the case of a suspected heart attack call an ambulance. An assessment will be done: if an acute heart attack is confirmed you will be taken to the local heart attack centre at St George's Hospital; otherwise you will be taken to A&E or the coronary care unit for further assessment and treatment.

The cardiology team

Four consultant cardiologists, who also treat patients at leading teaching hospitals, lead the medical team of junior doctors and cardiac physiologists, clinical nurse specialists, specialist rehabilitation nurses and support staff.