Dear BCIS Members,

BCIS is pleased to publish its position statement on PFO closure. This document is principally aimed at ensuring that sites that would like to develop a PFO closure programme have a national document to support them in this aim.

You can download a copy of the statement below, or access online here: PFO Closure: BCIS Position Statement | ICR Journal

Warm Regards,

Prof David Hildick-Smith
BCIS President 

Management of Vascular Access Complications in Structural Interventions

Some TAVI centres in the UK are encountering significant challenges in the management of vascular access complications, including the deployment of vascular stent grafts when needed.

International experience over the last 15 years has been that the interventionist undertaking the TAVI (or other large-bore vascular access) procedure is best placed to deal any immediate complications that may occur. European and American operators undertake these emergency procedures as required, without governance concerns. The UK is therefore an outlier in centres where procurement or organisational arrangements are not supportive.

BCIS recommends that all interventional cardiologists performing large-bore vascular access procedures including TAVI should have full responsibility for management of vascular complications, including stent graft deployment when appropriate.

This question will be fully addressed in the planned BCIS TAVI Service Specification, but we hope this statement will assist centres in addressing any challenges while publication of this document is awaited.

Professor Dan Blackman
BCIS Structural Group Lead

Professor David Hildick-Smith
BCIS President

The 12 month fellowship position in Auckland has unexpectedly become available, commencing October 2025. 

This post offers a well established, high-quality, high-volume interventional training in prominent international cardiac centres. The post is funded for 12 months, an expected salary is £60,000, the contribution is equally split between BCIS industry support and the hosting centre.   The training programme is primarily focussed on interventional research. As well as offering advanced interventional training, it provides an excellent opportunity to live and work in another country and experience a different healthcare system.

The post is highly competitive and are most suitable for individuals who already have a strong background of interventional training and academic research.

Access to the fellowships is limited to UK trainees in their final two years of Specialist Registrar training who intend to specialise in interventional cardiology and are BCIS members. The supervising consultants act on behalf of the BCIS Training and Education Group.

Auckland City Hospital, Auckland, New Zealand –  Position vacant: October 2025 – October 2026
Previous Incumbent: Dr Andrew Chapman from Edinburgh Royal Infirmary (January 2024 – January 2025)

Here’s what Dr Andrew Chapman had to say about his time in Auckland; “Auckland City Hospital is a quaternary centre providing care for cardiac patients with coronary and structural heart disease. The hospital has four cardiac cath labs and contains the national mechanical circulatory support (ECMO) and cardiac transplant unit. Annually, the department undertake in the region of 1200 percutaneous coronary intervention including a CTO programme and approximately 220 TAVI with four different valve platforms. Additional treatments offered include PFO/ASD/BMV and edge to edge repair. 

This is a high volume fellowship with four full days per week in the cath lab, providing outstanding exposure to complex coronary and structural intervention skills. I undertook over 400 PCI cases, 75% of which were image guided (IVUS/OCT). I gained significant experience in all aspects of calcium modification including rotablation, orbital atherectomy, intravascular lithotripsy and utilised all bifurcation techniques, with a large volume of left main stem procedures. I furthered my experience in CTO PCI including the retrograde technique with one list per fortnight. 

As I had previous TAVI experience, I was able to support and gain further high-quality training in both balloon expandable and self-expanding valve platforms. 

There were a number of educational opportunities. We had a once weekly dedicated PCI training session with the regional interventional consultants in which we presented cases and shared best practice. As fellow, I presented all angiograms for surgical discussion at the weekly cardiosurgical MDT conference. Finally, I had the opportunity to attend North Shore Hospital once a week for a further complex case experience. I was supported to attend a number of educational training courses and conferences throughout Australasia”.

The closing date is Friday 7 March at 5pm. You can apply using the form below.

The shortlisted applicants will be invited to a virtual interview, with a selected panel from the Training and Education Group. Applicants will not be required to prepare any literature or slides. The interviews will take place from 8:30am on Tuesday 18 March.

If you have any queries relating to the application process please email bcis@millbrookconferences.co.uk