We are seeking to recruit an enthusiastic, innovative and progressive Consultant with an interest in Interventional Cardiology to join our Cardiology team. The appointee will cover our new hospital Midland Metropolitan University Hospital (MMUH) during the on call with outpatient clinics at City hospital Birmingham and/or Sandwell General Hospital. Applications are welcomed from candidates with CCT (or equivalent) with an interest in Coronary Intervention who are on the General Medical Council’s Specialist Register in Cardiology or who will be within six months of obtaining their CCT at the time of interview. In addition, applicants should demonstrate within their application that they are fully trained in general Cardiology, can manage Primary PCI oncall and can perform PCI independently. This job is a substantive job
Closing Date 27th March 2025
Interview date 16th April 2025
The appointee will perform first class diagnostic angiography and coronary interventions for elective outpatient cases, urgent inpatients (acute coronary syndromes) and primary PCI for ST elevation MIs.
On-call for primary PCI and general cardiology 1 in 8 (with internal cover).
The appointee will also cover clinics (mostly Rapid Access Chest Pain patients), ward rounds and administration duties and also have flexible cardiac catheter laboratory cover. The post will initially be based primarily at MMUH for ward rounds and oncalls. The Trust has reconfigured its services in preparation for the implementation of the Right Care Right Here Programme and the post-holder therefore is required have outpatient work continuing on at least one of the other sites.
The appointee will take equal responsibility with existing Consultants for the proper functioning of the clinical service, working with clinical and managerial colleagues towards achieving and maintaining national maximum waiting times and developing clinical pathways.
Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust (SWBT) is an integrated care organisation with a budget of approximately £600 million and over 7,000 staff. Diversity and social care is at the core of what we do as the Trust provides Community and Acute Services to over half a million people in an urban centre that demands massive regeneration and has substantial premature mortality.
Our new acute hospital, the Midland Metropolitan University Hospital (MMUH), opens this year and will provide care to our local population from first class, purpose-built premises. As a result, the base of this role may change to MMUH . If this is applicable to your role, you will be informed during the recruitment process and continue your application with this understanding. The development of the new hospital will play an important role in the regeneration of the wider area and in improving the lives of local people and reducing health inequalities.

WE HAVE THREE STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES:

Our People – to cultivate and sustain happy, productive and engaged staff
Our Patients – to be good or outstanding in everything we do
Our Population – to work seamlessly with our partners to improve lives
Dr Vinoda Sharma is currently Specialty Lead for Cardiology; Dr Stavros Apostolakis is the Clinical Director for Admitted Care, of which Cardiology forms a part; Dr Chetan Varma (also a consultant cardiologist) is the Group Director for Medicine and Emergency Care. MMUH has Medical Admission Units adjacent to the Emergency Departments. The Trust runs a ward-based system for general medical patients.
Cardiology day time duties
The cardiology consultants provide a seven day service for cardiology patients at MMUH. The Consultant Cardiologist of the Week (non-Interventionist) carries out a ward round on the Cardiology A2 ward every day, supported by junior staff. MMUH Acute Medical Uniit (AMU) Ward Rounds are covered by Interventional Cardiologists in the morning. MMUH Cardiology Ward (A2) Rounds are covered by Non-Interventional Cardiologists (all-day). On the MMUH AMU, there is a daily consultant ward round on the acute medical unit (after initial assessment by the RMO and medical on-take team) in which patients needing prolonged specialist cardiac or catheter lab management are transferred the Cardiology A2 ward. All the patients requiring cardiology management are reviewed by the cardiology team with daily ward rounds on the cardiology wards, acute medical unit and ward referrals. All suspected acute coronary syndrome patients will be seen, as well as those with significant arrhythmias and those with heart failure.
Out-patient Clinics at Sandwell and City Hospitals
At Sandwell Hospital, the out-patient department is directly adjacent to the cardiology department and therefore access to exercise testing, echocardiography and rhythm management facilities. At City Hospital, the Birmingham Treatment Centre also provides out-patient facilities adjacent to the Cardiology Department. The appointee would have two cardiology clinics per week. There may be a requirement for the appointee to do outpatient work outside the hospital in line with the “Right Care Right Here” programme. At present there were a total of about 18000 outpatient attendances per year in the cardiology Dept. Modern IT systems (UNITY) support delivery of service to improve rapid turnover and communication with primary care and all our patient records are electronic.
Cardiac Catheterisation and Intervention
MMUH is equipped with state of the art Siemens Artis Icono Biplane catheter labs adjacent to each other with plans to install a third catheter lab in the provided space. Cath lab coordination is supported using the dedicated Labyrinth @ IT system and dedicated nurse Cath Lab Coordinator. One cath lab runs routinely from 8am-6pm with the second lab running 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday. There is an inpatient Saturday cath. List from 09:00-13:00 which is performed as part of the weekend oncall by the Interventional Consultant oncall.
Cath labs run mixed lists of acute and elective patients. Angiograms are supported using the Change Healthcare @ system, images being visible on any PC within the Trust at any time by the cardiology team as well as Cath reports and BCIS returns.
The Trust has a longstanding PCI programme and has undertaken coronary intervention with off-site surgical support from neighbouring cardiac surgical facilities for over 2 decades. On average more than 1200 interventional procedures including approximately 900 PCI’s are undertaken every year. A full range of diagnostic and therapeutic angioplasty devices are available including IVUS, OCT, pressure wire studies, rotational atherectomy, thrombectomy catheters, IVL etc.
We are a high volume radial centre with 96% of PCI cases undertaken radially in 2023. We utilise pressure wire in approximately 20% of our cases and intracoronary imaging (OCT or IVUS) in 20% of cases. We have the full range of tools for calcium modification including rotational atherectomy, IVL as well as orbital atherectomy.
A primary angioplasty service for acute myocardial infarction was established in the early 2000s, with 24 hours, 7 day service running since January 2005. There is a full Emergency department at the new Midlands Metropolitan Hospital. There is a 1 in 8 interventional rota (with internal cover) with approximately 250 STEMIs per year suitable for PPCI in the last calendar year. Arrangements are in place to allow for compensatory rest.
There is a recognised Chronic Total Occlusion (CTO) programme utilising a variety of modern techniques with access to the entire range of specialised equipment including Sting-RayTM. We also have a mature balloon mitral valvuloplasty programme and are looking to expand our structural intervention programme.
The single-site Acute Hospital (MMUH) benefits from co-located specialist services which will support the new Emergency Department with dedicated imaging facility and Assessment Units. It provides state-of-the-art treatment and care for patients from Sandwell and across the region and will become the civic heart of the area and a point of pride for the community.
The working week for a full-time consultant is comprised of 10 programmed activities (PAs) each of which has a nominal timetable value of 4 hours with 2.5 PAs for SPAs. Programmed activities that take place outside the hours of 7am and 7pm Monday and Friday or at weekends or on public holidays will have a timetable value of three hours rather than four. For this post direct clinical care (work relating directly to the prevention, diagnosis or treatment of illness) includes a minimum of 2 fixed cardiac catheter laboratory sessions per week, emergency work (including whilst on-call), outpatient activities (minimum of 2 clinics per week), multi-disciplinary meetings about direct patient care, and administration directly related to the above. Supporting professional activities (that underpin direct clinical care), include participation in training, medical education, continuous professional development, formal teaching, audit, clinical management and local clinical governance activities.
For more information on the job role and responsibilities, please refer to the Job Description attached.

Please refer the Job description for details