Cardiology

About

HEE Kent, Surrey and Sussex (KSS) currently has 41 formal training posts and a number of fellowship posts. It is a five-year programme, with the final two years spent training in the individual’s area of chosen sub-specialty.

The programme is led by Professor Nik Patel, Head of School, and three active Training Programme Directors in Cardiology in KSS: Dr Nicholas Pegge, Dr Sue Ellery and Dr Andrew Marshall

By choosing to train in KSS, trainees will have the opportunity to develop a broad base of cardiology experience in the friendly and supportive units within the region, and subsequently concentrate on sub-specialty training within tertiary centres in the region as well as one of the London teaching hospitals.

Our ultimate aim is to produce talented, enthusiastic doctors trained to a high standard in cardiology. The majority of our trainees who complete their CCT take up consultant positions or undertake further sub-specialty training in dedicated fellowships, both in the UK and overseas.

HEE KSS offers a wide range of advanced modular training, including:

  • Coronary intervention
  • Electrophysiology
  • Pacing and devices
  • Cardiac imaging
  • Heart failure
  • Adult Congenital Heart Disease (ACHD)

What makes KSS different?

HEE KSS has an excellent programme of professional master classes to support ongoing professional and leadership development. There is also a well-developed educator training programme, simulation training days and an annual medical education conference.

HEE KSS offer a programme of monthly cardiology training days held at the Royal Society of Medicine, covering a wide range of cardiac topics. The expectation is that trainees attend 70% of these protected training days throughout the year.

Where do trainees train?

Kent

  • William Harvey Hospital, Ashford – East Kent Hospitals University Foundation Trust
  • Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mother Hospital, Margate – East Kent Hospitals University Foundation Trust
  • Maidstone Hospital, Maidstone – Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust
  • Tunbridge Wells Hospital, Pembury – Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust
  • Medway Maritime Hospital, Medway – Medway NHS Foundation Trust
  • Darent Valley Hospital, Dartford – Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust

Surrey

  • St Peter’s Hospital, Chertsey – Ashford and St. Peter’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
  • Frimley Park Hospital, Frimley – Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust
  • Royal Surrey County Hospital, Guildford – Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust 
  • East Surrey Hospital, Redhill – Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust

Sussex

  • Conquest Hospital, St. Leonards-on-Sea – East Sussex Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
  • Eastbourne District General Hospital, Eastbourne – East Sussex Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
  • Royal Sussex County Hospital, Brighton – Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust (tertiary centre)
  • Worthing Hospital, Worthing – Western Sussex Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
  • St Richards Hospital, Chichester – Western Sussex Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

To find out more about each training location, please visit the Local Education Provider webpage here.

London:

ST5 and above trainees may also rotate to London hospitals for their placements.

North London

Harefield Hospital, Royal Brompton & Harefield NHS Foundation Trust

St Bartholomew’s Hospital, Barts Health NHS Trust

South London

King’s College Hospital, Kings College NHS Foundation Trust

St Georges Hospital, St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

St Thomas’ Hospital, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust

Other opportunities for trainees

ST6 and ST7 posts at centres in KSS and London provide advanced modular training in sub-specialties for accreditation in electrophysiology, devices, heart failure, imaging, adult congenital heart disease and coronary intervention. Selection into ST6 and ST7 posts is by competitive interview incorporating South London trainees as well.

Within KSS we actively support Out of Programme training (OOP) opportunities; this most commonly involves a period of research resulting in a PhD or MD.

In addition to cardiology specialty fellowships, HEE KSS offers medical education fellowships, with the intention of supporting those trainees planning to pursue lead educator positions in their later careers.

Some of our specialist registrars chose to dual accredit in General Internal Medicine (GIM). There is a comprehensive programme of training days arranged throughout the year covering the GIM curriculum. The training programme directors for general medicine ensure that trainees fulfil the requirements for dual accreditation so that they are eligible to apply for consultant posts requiring commitment to the medical on-call rota.

There is excellent experience of unselected medical on-call available throughout the region.