The University Hospitals of Leicester (UHL) is a leading provider of cardiac care in the UK, offering a wide range of services from basic to highly specialised treatments. We benefit from advanced facilities and a strong team of experts. Prevention, community links and collaboration are core tenets of our service, and we have recently won National HSJ awards for our Glenfield Chest Pain Centre and Virtual Atrial Fibrillation ward. The clinical service is linked to outstanding internationally recognised research in cardiovascular diseases undertaken in partnership with the University of Leicester.
Our cardiology service is a national leader in cardiology, home to renowned experts Professor André Ng, current President of the British Cardiovascular Society and Professor Sir Nilesh Samani, served as Medical Director of the British Heart Foundation from 2016 to 2023. Professor Gerry McCann past chair of the British Society of Cardiovascular MRI research group. Professor Iain Squire past chair of the British Society for Heart Failure.
The service has delivered several UK and worldwide firsts for advances in care including Professor Jan Kovac first UK keyhole aortic valve surgery, the late Professor Tony Gershlick first UK cardiologist to undertake clinical vascular brachytherapy, and the first to implant both a drug eluting stent and a bioabsorbable stent. Professor Andre Ng first remote catheter ablation using the Amigo Robotic Catheter System. Professor Toru Suzuki first UK aortic medicine service.
Our services
- Specialised cardiology services: we treat patients from various regions, providing specialised services for complex cardiac conditions. Our catchment area includes Leicestershire, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Northamptonshire, Rutland and beyond. The hospital boasts state-of-the-art facilities, including catheter labs, a cardiac care unit, and advanced imaging technologies like MRI and CT scanners.
- Cardiac surgery, imaging & interventions: UHL offers comprehensive cardiac care, including surgery, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), and structural interventions. We have a dedicated cardiac surgery unit and advanced imaging facilities.
Key departments
- Interventional cardiology: Known for pioneering procedures like transcatheter aortic valve intervention (TAVI). The award-winning TAVI service performs over 500 TAVI annually along with other cutting-edge procedures like percutaneous Mitral and Tricuspid valve repairs, Left atrial appendage occlusion and PFO closures. UHL performs around 1,400 coronary interventions annually. We have expertise in complex coronary procedures and offer 24/7 primary PCI services.
- Heart failure service: UHL has a strong heart failure department with a skilled team and innovative services like a virtual heart failure ward. We are recognised for our rapid access service and research excellence.
- Cardiac imaging: The imaging services at UHL support various cardiac procedures and interventions. We offer comprehensive echocardiography, MRI, CT services and nuclear cardiology services.
- Electrophysiology and devices: This department manages arrhythmias and implants devices like pacemakers and Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators (ICD’s). They perform around 800 electrophysiology procedures annually and are a leading centre for atrial fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia ablation and complex pacemakers including leadless, conduction system devices and an extraction programme.
- Inherited cardiac conditions and adult congenital heart disease: We are the regional referral centre and are a nationally selected site for the British Heart Foundation and coronial services SCD programme. We offer a specialist maternity medicine cardiology service and have strong links with the with public outreach work, affiliated with the Joe Humphries memorial trust and Heart Link which were I am sure also pivotal in retention of services in Leicestershire.
Research
UHL is renowned for its cardiovascular research, undertaken in partnership with the University of Leicester. We host a National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), Biomedical Research Centre, which includes a Cardiovascular theme led by Prof McCann, and have recently been awarded BHF Centre for Research Excellence led by Prof Ng. The 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF) ranked Leicester joint 2nd in the UK for Clinical Medicine research. Major research areas include cardiovascular genetics, heart failure, cardiac imaging and cardiac arrhythmias.
Public outreach
The cardiology department works closely with major cardiology charities including Beat SCAD, Heart Valve Voice, Pumping Marvellous, Joe Humphries memorial trust and Heart Link. The Cardiology Department is involved in frequent community activities such as the recent Your Heart Matters event which screened 522 members of the public outside the Clock Tower. All our research includes patient and public involvement panels to ensure that the patient voice is at the centre of the process.