Heart services

Our staff provide both adult and children’s heart services which have a growing national and international reputation. We also pursue an active programme of research aimed at improving care and outcomes for patients with a range of heart problems.   

We have a coronary care unit at Glenfield Hospital and cardiac nurses working in the emergency department at Leicester Royal Infirmary. We also have a cardiac nurse-led rapid access chest pain (RACP) service that provides a quick and early assessment of patients with chest pain. 

We provide a comprehensive range of specialist services including planned and emergency services for adults and children requiring cardiac investigations and treatment. We treat patients with conditions including heart disease, heart attacks, heart valve problems, irregular heart rhythms and congenital disorders. 

Non-invasive cardiac investigations are carried out by cardiac physiologists and cardiographers at both the Glenfield Hospital and the Leicester General Hospital for inpatients and outpatients. Some tests are also carried out for inpatients at the Leicester Royal Infirmary.  

Tests include electrocardiogram (ECG), ambulatory heart monitor recordings for durations of 24-hours up to 7-days, cardiac exercise tests, echocardiogram, and pacemaker and defibrillator device checks.  

Invasive cardiac investigations are carried out at the Glenfield Hospital. Tests include coronary angiogram, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), pacemaker and defibrillator implantation, electrophysiology (EP) study and ablation. 

All paediatric cardiac investigations are carried out at the Leicester Royal Infirmary in the specialist East Midlands Congenital Heart Centre. 

Accessibility information for the Cardiac Investigations and Cardiac Rehab unit.

Our services include

It is important that you, your family and your carers understand what any test you have had, or may have in the future, is for.

This section will cover the common tests that can be performed to identify the precise nature of your heart problems.

  • Electrocardiogram (ECG) – a way of recording the rhythm and the electrical activity of the heart.
  • Exercise Tolerance Test – performed on patients with chest pains or symptoms of angina.
  • Echocardiogram (ECHO) – a scan of the heart using ultrasound that produces an image on the screen. It can produce accurate pictures of the heart. These images are connected to the hospitals computer network. Images can be retrieved quickly from anywhere within the hospital.

Find accessibility information for the Cardiac Investigations unit.

More information:

For information about other cardiac tests please refer to the full list of explanations on the Activate Your Heart website.

ECMO (Extra Corporeal Membrane Oxygenation) is a life support system used for patients with severe heart or lung failure. Glenfield Hospital in Leicester runs the UK’s only service offering ECMO for both adults and children. Established in 1989, it is now one of the busiest and most experienced centres globally.

The system works by pumping blood outside the body to oxygenate it and remove carbon dioxide. There are two main types: VV ECMO for lung support and VA ECMO for both heart and lung support.

Glenfield also operates a 24/7 mobile ECMO retrieval service, transporting critically ill patients from across the UK by ambulance, helicopter, or aircraft. In some cases, ECMO is started at the referring hospital before transfer.

The service is accredited by ELSO and provides specialist training to national and international healthcare teams. It is part of a UK-wide ECMO network covering both adult and paediatric care.

Glenfield’s cardiac surgery team offers a full spectrum of adult procedures—from coronary bypass, valve repairs/replacements (including TAVI and sutureless options), mitral surgery, atrial fibrillation ablation, and heart failure operations, to complex aortic and adult congenital repairs. They also provide prompt care for urgent and emergency cases, supported by on-site imaging (CT, MRI, echo).

Operating across five theatres and an 18-bed ICU, the unit is staffed 24/7 with consultant intensivists and offers advanced services like ECMO, IABP, and bedside ultrasound. Last year, they performed around 1,100 – 1,200 cases annually, with many complex re-operations, ranking them among the UK’s top eight units—their observed mortality is among the country’s best.

They work closely with regional hospitals through outreach clinics and multidisciplinary teams. Pre-op assessments take place in a dedicated outpatient clinic, and same‑day admission is being introduced to streamline care.

The unit plans to boost capacity — expanding theatre sessions, ICU beds, and consultant staff — to increase the case load to about 1,400 per year and extend services to hospitals in Northampton and Kettering

British Heart Foundation – your heart health questions answered 

Accessibility information for the Heart Failure Clinic.