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8th April 2025
BCIS are pleased to announce that the BCIS Position Statement on Mitral edge-to-edge repair is now available via the ICR3 website and to download as a PDF using the link below. This document is supportive of expansion of services in the UK and embraces a breadth of approach.
25th February 2025
BCIS are pleased to announce that the new PCI guidelines have now been published in ICR3 and can be accessed using the following link: PCI in the UK: Recommendations of the BCIS | ICR Journal. A great deal of work, involving many cardiologists, has gone into producing this document. We hope these updated guidelines will be a useful reference for hospitals across the country. PCI in the UK has been one of the success stories of the NHS and we hope these updated guidelines provide an updated framework for safe and effective coronary intervention.
Best Wishes,
Gerald Clesham, Hon Sec
21st February 2025
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
18th February 2025
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
14th February 2025
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
11th February 2025
10th February 2025
BCIS ACI 2025 returned to the London Hilton Metropole. This year’s attendance was huge with in-person attendee numbers exceeding 1,000 and hundreds more watching online from around the globe. BCIS ACI featured live cases from Sunderland Royal Hospital and Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital, an engaging talk from keynote speaker Dr Neil Spenceley, dedicated AHP sessions, Innovations in Intervention and more. There were also award ceremonies and presentations for the Best Trainees Case and Young Investigator of the Year along with the industry-sponsored Education Zone.
Get up to speed with what you missed, or rewatch your favourite moments from the three-day interventional cardiology conference.
17th May 2024
We would like to invite expressions of interest from BCIS members keen to have a role in the continued development of our Society by contributing to the work of the AHP Group.
Allied Health Professional Working Group Member Without Portfolio (x1post)
We are looking for dedicated, enthusiastic and experienced allied health professional to join the Group and play a key role in its various activities including organisation of the BCIS AHP Summer Meeting; ACI – AHP sessions. You can find out more details about the Allied Health Professionals Group on the BCIS website where there is a dedicated AHP area.
The position is for a 3-year term.
Person Specification
Qualifications: Relevant professional qualification for discipline.
Experience: Relevant experience in interventional cardiology practice. As a guide, indicative experience of eight years post qualification with at least five years working within interventional cardiology desirable. Minimum of two years at senior level.
Other: an interest in teaching and education is essential with an expected commitment to take part in sessions during the AHP Summer meeting and ACI. Experience of delivering talks / leading teaching sessions is desirable. Must be an allied health professional and BCIS member.
We are looking for enthusiastic members who have novel ideas to develop the goals of the AHP group and BCIS for the future.
Application
Application is by self-nomination, with reference to the person specification above. A supporting statement from the candidate, no more than 500 words which specifically addresses their suitability for the role must accompany self-nomination in order for the application to be valid.
Feel free to pass on details to other AHP colleagues who may be interested. If your colleague(s) is not currently a member of BCIS, they would be very welcome to join. Click here for further details. Membership of BCIS is required for the posts.
These applications will be scored by a panel consisting of the AHP Chair, currently Sarah Carson, together with other members of BCIS Council. Successful candidates will be chosen based upon the best scores.
The deadline for applications is Friday 14th June at 5pm.
Informal enquiries are welcome – please contact any member of the Working Group or alternatively, please contact the Group via bcis@millbrookconferences.co.uk.
Best wishes,
Sarah Carson
AHP Working Group Lead
17th May 2024
We would like to invite expressions of interest from BCIS members keen to have a role in the continued development of our Society by contributing to the work of the Research and Development Working Group.
Research and Development Working Group Members:
The Research and Development Group is responsible for coordinating Research and Development activities within the Society. These activities include the BCIS literature review service, development of new research ideas from members and the BCIS Young Investigator Award.
The positions are for a 3-year term.
Upcoming posts:
Lead of the Structural Research Sub-Group:
Lead of Structural Heart Disease will automatically become co-opted to the Structural Working Group and replace incumbent Dr Patrick Calvert. The remit of the research specialty groups is to stimulate new clinical research and trials in disease areas of unmet need, and to support the development of research ideas from BCIS members.
Lead Literature Review Project:
We are looking for enthusiastic members with special responsibility for literature review project for quarterly literature reviews with the assistance from Dr Natalia Briceno. Please find a link here to previous literature reviews.
Research Nurse Representative
Member without Portfolio
Applications are open to all members of BCIS. Candidates should normally have some experience of research, be able to demonstrate experience of committee work and have good organisational abilities.
Application
Application is by self-nomination with a supporting statement from the candidate of no more than 500 words. The closing date is Friday 14th June at 5pm. Applications to be made via the form at the bottom of this page. If you have any queries, please contact Professor Vijay Kunadian (R&D lead) at Vijay.Kunadian@newcastle.ac.uk or Dr Gerald Clesham (Hon Sec) at Gerald.Clesham@nhs.net.
10th November 2023
BCIS Allied Health Professionals New Appointments
Following the recent application process, it is my great pleasure to be able to announce two new members who will start their three year tenure in January 2024.
Having reviewed all the applications, the panel of judges whittled it down to the following candidates:
Many congratulations! It is an exciting time to be working in education for AHPs in Interventional Cardiology and I am very much looking forward to working with you in the near future.
BCIS would like to congratulate the successful candidates and thank all those who applied for their continued interest in BCIS. The Working Groups form the backbone of the society, and BCIS was delighted to have so many high calibre applicants.
Best Wishes,
Sarah Carson
Allied Health Professional Working Group Lead