BCS Annual Report 2010 - British Cardiovascular Society

British Cardiovascular Society9 Fitzroy Square, London W1T 5HWTel: +44 (0)20 7383 3887 Fax: +44 (0)20 7388 0903 Email: enquiries@bcs.comCompany Limited by guarantee.Registered in England No: 3005604 Registered Charity No: 1093321www.bcs.comBritish Cardiovascular Society Annual Report 2010 www.bcs.comAnnual Report2010Promoting excellence in cardiovascular care

2Our Missionand AimsThe British Cardiovascular Society is dedicated to the promotion ofcardiovascular health.The BCS will:> set standards of clinical excellence for the benefit of patients> be committed to enhancing and maintaining the highest standards intraining, education and research> be the primary source of professional advice and advocacy in theprevention, diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease, andengage with government, patient groups, research councils, fundingbodies and industry> deliver these objectives in collaboration with patients, the widerpublic, and partner organisationsThe above objectives will be delivered at all times within an ethicalframework based upon the public interest and professional integrity.Our Mission and Aims 02Officers of the Society 04Staff of the Society 05Introduction and report from the President 06Honorary Secretary Report 10Chief Executive Officer Report 12DIVISIONAL REPORTSClinical Standards Division 14Corporate and Financial Affairs Division 19Education and Research Division 22Training Division 26OTHER REPORTSWomen in UK Cardiology 30Joint Working Group for Women’s Heart Health 32BMJ Report from Heart Journal 33MEMBERSHIP AND CONFERENCEMembership Costs 34Getting Involved! 34Annual Conference and Exhibition 2009 382010 Annual Conference and Exhibition 40BCS Annual Awards 2009 42AFFILIATED GROUPS REPORTSArrhythmia Alliance (A-A) 44British Association for Cardiac Rehabilitation (BACR) 47British Association for Nursing inCardiovascular Care (BANCC) 48British Atherosclerosis Society (BAS) 50British Congenital Cardiac Association (BCCA) 51British Cardiovascular Intervention Society (BCIS) 52British Junior Cardiologists’ Association (BJCA) 54British Nuclear Cardiology Society (BNCS) 56British Society of Cardiovascular Imaging (BSCI) 57British Society of CardiovascularMagnetic Resonance (BSCMR) 59British Society for Cardiovascular Research (BSCR) 60British Society of Echocardiography (BSE) 62British Society for Heart Failure (BSH) 64Heart Care Partnership (UK) (HCP UK) 66Heart Rhythm (UK) (HR-UK) 69Primary Care Cardiovascular Society (PCCS) 70Society for Cardiological Scienceand Technology (SCST) 7203ContentsBritish Cardiovascular Society. Annual Report 2010

4CEOBCS ExecutiveStanding left to right:Iain Simpson, Edward Rowland, Jim Hall,Simon Ray, Nav Masani, Steven Yeats,Charles Knight, David HackettSeated left to right:Stuart Cobbe, Keith Fox, Derek YellonOfficers of the SocietyPresidentProf Keith Fox2009 - 2012Honorary SecretaryDr Charles Knight2008 - 2011VP TrainingProf Stuart Cobbe2007 - 2010VP Training ElectDr Jim Hall2009 - 2010Staff of the SocietyStaff of the SocietyFrom left to right:Mary-Lou Pitts,Jasdeep Bhamber,Wojtek Trzcinski,Françoise Durrant,Steven Yeats,Catherine Mullin,Dilowar Hussain,Srinivas Palli,Lulu HoSeated:Anna Kassai,Azeem Ahmad,Kirsten BradburySteven YeatsAppointed 1998yeatss@bcs.comAffiliate CoordinatorAzeem AhmadAppointed 2007ahmada@bcs.comAffiliate CoordinatorLulu HoAppointed 2005hol@bcs.comProject CoordinatorAnna KassaiAppointed 2007kassaia@bcs.com05VP Clinical StandardsDr David Hackett2007 - 2010VP Clinical Standards ElectDr Simon Ray2009 - 2010VP Corporate andFinancial AffairsProf Derek Yellon2009 - 2012VP Education AndResearchDr Iain Simpson2008 - 2011Non-executive TrusteeProf Dame Carol Black2007Non-executive TrusteeMr Graham Meek2007Non-executive TrusteeMr Nigel Turner2008Non-executive TrusteeMr John Carrier2009IT Support SpecialistJasdeep BhamberAppointed 2005bhamberj@bcs.comHead of DevelopmentKirsten BradburyAppointed 2007bradburyk@bcs.comSenior Exhibition ManagerFrançoise DurrantAppointed 2008durrantf@bcs.comWeb DeveloperDilowar HussainAppointed 2006hussaind@bcs.comOffice AssistantCatherine MullinAppointed 2008mullinc@bcs.comResources ManagerMary-Lou PittsAppointed 1997pittsml@bcs.comFinance and MembershipCoordinatorWojtek TrzcinskiAppointed 2007trzcinskiw@bcs.comExhibition Sales ManagerKelly EdworthyAppointed 2009edworthyk@bcs.comBritish Cardiovascular Society. Annual Report 2010

6DespiteBCS President:Prof Keith FoxFrom the PresidentIntroduction and Report07the prevailing financial pressures in 2009, the year has been a highlysuccessful one for the British Cardiovascular Society. We have been ableto take on new initiatives and to build on the very successful achievementsof 2008. How has this been possible? A major tribute must go to StevenYeats and all the staff of the BCS, the more efficient organisation and theefforts to reduce costs. We are deeply indebted to the Officers of theSociety, the Executive, the Board and the BCS Members who have made hugecontributions despite the scarcity of our most valuable resource, time!We have taken the opportunity to review the strategic direction of the British CardiovascularSociety and I am indebted to the Vice-Presidents for all the work that has gone into this.We set aside part of each of our Board meetings to discuss strategic direction, and I amparticularly indebted to the non-Executive Directors Professor Dame Carol Black,Mr Graham Meek, Mr Nigel Turner and Mr John Carrier for their thoughtful insights andthe wider perspectives from related professional and healthcare organisations.We have resolved to strengthen our partnerships with the Affiliated Groups of the Society and toexplore ways in which we can provide “added value” to our Affiliated Group members.This includes providing administrative support and use of Fitzroy Square facilities. Wewill have a more effective and powerful voice collectively than as separate sub-specialtyinterest groups and we can provide a cost-effective method of electronic communicationwith all members.From our discussions on strategic direction for the BCS, we want to emphasise the educationalfocus of the Society. This is not only through the very important and successful AnnualConference and Exhibition (please see the report of Iain Simpson, Vice-PresidentEducation and Research) but also through separate educational initiatives. The CardiologyReview Course consists of a partnership between the British Cardiovascular Society andthe Mayo Clinic, (with the courses run in association with the Royal College of Physiciansof London). The first course in 2009 involved 80 participants and this was substantiallyexpanded in 2010 (more than 260 registered) with many participants coming fromcontinental Europe and further afield. It’s clear that the Cardiology Review Course isrecognised for the exceptional quality and very high calibre of the contributors.The BCS has been proactive in developing tools for revalidation, consistent with the requirementsof the General Medical Council and the needs of the profession. The aim is to developa flexible and “user friendly” approach to revalidation that meets professional needs interms of knowledge, skills and assessment and an approach that minimises duplicationBritish Cardiovascular Society. Annual Report 2010

8of effort (please see the report of the Vice-President Clinical Standards, David Hackett).David and colleagues have done a huge amount of work in developing the framework forrevalidation.We are strengthening our links with the European Society of Cardiology and with the AmericanCollege of Cardiology. British cardiology is well represented within the Board of theESC and key ESC committees. Senior members of the ESC participate in our AnnualConference and Exhibition, and many BCS members have contributed to ESC guidelines.Our links with the American College of Cardiology are two-fold: firstly, we have a“twinning programme” with the California Chapter of the ACC and this provides accessto very high quality courses and short-term attachments, “preceptorships”. The pilotphase of this programme was initiated in 2009 and we aim to develop and expand theseeducational opportunities and to seek new funding resources to allow cardiologists andadvanced trainees to take up the opportunities and to bring back the expertise to the UK.A BCS/ACC Fellowship has been appointed and is underway in advanced imaging withsix months in Cedars Sinai Hospital, and six months in the UK (in the Royal BromptonHospital for the first fellowship).09In a separate initiative, the Fellows of the American College of Cardiology resident in the UK andIreland have now formed a “UK and Ireland Chapter” of the ACC and the first President ofthe Chapter is Dr Nick Boon (elected unopposed) and Professor Nilesh Samani electedSecretary. The FACCs and ACC leadership will meet at the BCS Annual Conference andExhibition to agree a constitution and future plan.In a collaborative programme with the British Heart Foundation we initiated a detailed report onAccess to Cardiac Care (interventional services) in the UK and this revealed substantialinequalities in provision and shortfalls in various parts of the UK. There is additional workto be done especially in looking at non-interventional services, at heart failure and otheraspects of cardiology practice.The BCS has been active in its collaborative work with the Royal College of Physicians, with theDepartment of Health, with the British Heart Foundation and with other medical societies.In response to an initiative from the House of Lords a valuable guidance document has beencompleted on Fitness to Fly and we must acknowledge the huge contribution ofDr David Smith and his colleagues to this valuable resource.The last year has been exciting, challenging and rewarding! We will face additional financialchallenges over the next year, as the impact of the external financial situation alsoinfluences the BCS. Nevertheless, the BCS is in good health and good heart! We lookforward to working together over the next year.British Cardiovascular Society. Annual Report 2010

0BCS MEMBERSHIP:> 1368 ORDINARY, SPR, NON-CLINICAL AND INTERNATIONAL MEMBERS> 312 EXTRA-ORDINARY AND HONORARY MEMBERS> 453 JOINT BCS MEMBERSMembershipHonorarySecretary ReportThe British Cardiovascular Society currently has over 2133 members; a healthy increase of 193members over the last year following continuing recruitment efforts and review of ourmembership benefits.Our membership now encompasses a wide range of healthcare professionals working in thefield of cardiovascular health. A large majority of our members are Consultants andSpecialist Registrars in Cardiology, but we have made special efforts to encourage otherhealth professionals with an interest in Cardiovascular medicine to join BCS, throughreduced subscription rates, joint membership with Affiliated Groups and a less exclusivemembership application process.We believe that membership of BCS represents outstanding value for money. BCS membership gives:> Free access to Heart Online> A discounted subscription for the twice monthly journal Heart, a peer review journalfor health professionals and researchers in all areas of cardiology> Free access to the web tool Cardiosource in collaboration with the ACC, whichoffers research, information, ongoing clinical trials, and news regardingcardiovascular health> Free registration at our Annual Conference and Exhibition (if you register in timefor the early-bird fees)11As the voice for those working in cardiovascular health, science and disease management in theUK, BCS aims to promote and support the healthcare professionals who work in cardiology.BCS membership gives our members significant professional support, including:> Professional representation with the Royal College of Physicians> Representation at the Department of Health> Support for ACCEA Awards> All notices and electronic communications of the Society> Full participation in business meetings and voting rights> The option to stand for nominated BCS positions> Access to the facilities of the Society’s officesBecoming a member of the BCS will also give you the ability to access the whole of the websiteincluding the members-only area, which enables members to:> Discuss issues of interest in the discussion section> Make contact with other members in the members directory> Access restricted library documents> Access educational tools, such as webcasts and online training systems> Access current membership offers, such as reduced rate on the ESC TextbookWe believe that these benefits will encourage an active and diverse BCS membership overcoming years, strengthening the Society and improving cardiovascular healthcare.Press OfficeHonorary Secretary:Dr Charles KnightIn 2009, BCS set up a Press Office to deal with the enquiries that we receive from an array of mediaprofessionals. 60 members of the Society have offered their services for answering specialistpress enquiries, but the bulk of the more general enquiries are handled by the HonorarySecretary and the Vice President for Education and Research. In 2009 over 50 press enquirieswere dealt with, with articles and interviews appearing in Daily Express, Daily Mail, Sky News,BBC News, Times Online, BBC London, Radio 5, along with a variety of trade magazine articles.The BCS Press Office can be contacted on press@bcs.com or 0207 380 1901British Cardiovascular Society. Annual Report 2010

2Chief ExecutiveOfficer ReportBCS ChiefExecutive Officer:Mr Steven Yeats132009 has been a busy but successful year for all the staff of BCS. We havebuilt on a strong 2008, and surpassed all expectations, delivering theAnnual Conference and Exhibition and the Cardiology Review Course fromexcellent in-house teams. 2009 saw the Annual Conference and Exhibitionmove to ExCeL London, the first time in over 20 years it was held in theCapital. The conference programme was full of new innovations developedby the programme committee, while the exhibition was organised in-housefor the first time. The organisation of the whole event was a huge successand thanks must go to all involved.The first British Cardiovascular Society and Mayo Clinic Cardiology Review Course successfullyran at the beginning of March 2009, at the RCP in London. The course was deliveredby a large expert faculty and covered all the key areas of the cardiology curriculum. Theemphasis was on practical clinically based knowledge and the course was taught inlecture format with faculty from the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA alongside UKspeakers. Once again the organisation was exceptional and thanks must go to all involved.We continue to increase the services we offer to Affiliated Groups, and are grateful to all staffinvolved. We now offer a full range of services to all of our Affiliated Groups, includingmembers’ database management, collection of annual fees via direct debit, and bespokewebsite design.A new BCS website was launched at the end of 2009, which is more modular in design andeasily transposed for our Affiliated Groups. This enables us to change the website easily,and adapt the front page for specific events. It also enables Affiliated Groups to designtheir own website and expand the functionality as needed.Once again the staff at Fitzroy Square have delivered everything in a timely and professionalmanner. The work of the Society could not be achieved without the help and dedicationof all at Fitzroy Square, and I would like to congratulate them all on another efficient andproductive year.The Society, in conjunction with many other specialist societies and associated groups, hasstarted the development of JBS3: Joint British Societies’ guidelines on prevention ofcardiovascular disease in clinical practice. Using the support of in-house expertise andhaving assigned Catherine Mullin to work part-time as project manager, we hope to deliverthe final report before the end of 2010.The Society has also employed a finance coordinator, Wojtek Trzcinski, who has been ableto transfer the book-keeping in house, with quarterly checks by our Accountants.This means that we now have monthly accounts, helping the running of the Societyenormously on a day to day basis. We have also moved to electronic banking, and onlineregistration for the ACE is also streamlined through our website.Fitzroy SquareBritish Cardiovascular Society. Annual Report 2010

4ClinicalVice-PresidentClinical Standards:Dr David HackettDivisional ReportsStandards DivisionVice-President: Dr David HackettThe Clinical Standards Division has had a busy 2009. The main work of theDivision during this year has included:Revalidation for cardiologists:15Pathfinder pilots for revalidation of all doctors are planned to start during 2010, and the first wave(“early adopters”) of revalidation is planned to start in 2011. After much discussion,including a formal consultation with the membership, BCS published final proposals forrecommended principles of a portfolio of supporting information required for cardiologistsfor revalidation, and which could also be used for annual appraisal (see the Revalidationpage on the BCS website). The next task is to define detailed and specific specialtyand sub-specialty standards for revalidation. BCS is also in discussion with softwareorganisations with regard to a European-wide electronic platform for demonstratingproficiency in the domains of medical practice which could be offered to the membershipfor annual appraisal and for the five-yearly revalidation cycle.BCS Imaging Council:During the year, BCS established an Imaging Council representative of all the cardiac imagingsub-specialties. BCS has chaired the Council Meetings and provided administrativesupport; two representatives from each imaging sub-specialty group are expected toattend each meeting. During 2009, Dr Simon Ray as Vice-President Elect has chairedthe Imaging Council meetings. The purpose of the Imaging Council is to:> Raise the profile of cardiac imaging> Improve cross-linkage with international organisations, particularly the ESC> Provide coordinated and consistent advice to the SAC and other groups responsiblefor training> Develop new educational initiatives and conference planning> Resolve differences between imaging sub-specialties> Improve imaging services> Address anomalies in national reimbursement strategies> Develop tools for revalidationBritish Cardiovascular Society. Annual Report 2010

6Study of variations and inequalities in cardiac care: “Access to Cardiac Care”BCS with the BHF and Cardiovascular Coalition commissioned Oxford Healthcare Associatesto produce a study and report of current provision of cardiac procedures, comparedwith estimated need according to population changes, local burden of disease anddeprivation, by locality in all four countries of the UK. And to predict estimated futureneeds up to 2020. The Report was published and presented to the Annual Conferenceand Exhibition in June 2009 and can be found on the BCS website. Detailed localauthority data was subsequently published in July 2009. These data will help in thedevelopment and planning of local and regional services and workforce requirementswhere there is current or predicted future under-provision or inequality.Workload of cardiologists:Many of the BCS Network Service Advisors requested guidance on appropriate workload whenconsidering whether to approve job descriptions for new consultant cardiology posts,and for review of their own workloads when preparing for annual appraisals. After severalrounds of discussion and reviews at various meetings, the Clinical Standards Division willbe publishing detailed guidance on this in early 2010.Accreditation of Practitioners with a special Interest in cardiology:BCS has developed a model of accreditation of courses in cardiology for Practitioners witha Special Interest; this work has been led by Dr Mark Dancy. BCS assesses andbenchmarks the quality of the course provision, and the BHF funds training places inaccredited courses only. We hope that this process should lead to national standards forcourses and training of Practitioners with a Special Interest in cardiology. Several courseshave been accredited by BCS and can be viewed in the BCS Accreditation pages on theBCS website.Cardiac workforce planning:Data from the “Access to Cardiac Care” study of expected future requirement for cardiac care inthe UK has provided guidance on numbers of cardiac and cardiac surgical interventions,for devices and electrophysiology procedures, by need according to population changes,local burden of disease and deprivation and by locality and region of the UK up to2020. BCS is analysing the corresponding need for cardiac catheterization laboratories,consultant cardiologists, and trainees required for these procedure-based disciplines.BCS is also discussing whether to consider a further “Access to Cardiac Care” studycovering similar issues for acute cardiac conditions, the imaging specialties and heartfailure, and which might also demonstrate the variations and inequalities in the provision ofcare and the consultant cardiologist workforce in these sub-specialty areas.Non-medical catheter laboratory workforce:17BCS commissioned a Working Group on Non-medical catheter laboratorystaffing which produced a report in March 2007. As a result of this, theBHF set up a Non-Medical Catheter Laboratory Workforce Steering Groupin early 2008 who agreed the competencies required for multi-skilled cardiaccatheter laboratory workforce. This work has led to the creation of a CardiacCath Lab Worker course. The first course provider of this is the London SouthbankUniversity and three courses have been run to date, with 48 students enrolled.BCS has been a party to all these developments and the BHF have funded a numberof places on this course in 2009. It is expected that there will be additional courseproviders in the near future.Fitness to Fly:The House of Lords Science and Technology Committee report on Air Travel and Health: anUpdate was published in December 2007 (available on www.publications.parliament.uk).This report recommended (5.22) that various specialties such as cardiology, orthopaedicsand psychiatry follow the lead of the British Thoracic Society in producing guidelines onfitness to fly with the intention of informing GPs and other healthcare professionals; andthat these publications should be made available in electronic form and hard copy toall GPs. As a result, the BCS established a Working Group on Fitness for Air Travel withCardiovascular Conditions. Dr David Smith has chaired a BCS Working Group and hasproduced an excellent report, which will be published in early 2010.Clinical Standards Division representation to other organisations:NHS Workforce Review Team (England)Dept of Health (England) NSF Future of Cardiac Services Steering GroupRCP-BCS Joint Specialty Committee (Cardiac)RCP Clinical Standards BoardRCP Clinical Effectiveness ForumRCP Medical Workforce UnitRCP Revalidation UnitCoalition of Medical Specialist SocietiesRCS Revalidation and Hospital Episode Statistics Project BoardBHF Prevention & Care CommitteeBHF Non-Medical Catheter Laboratory Workforce Steering GroupCardiovascular Coalition: Steering Group, Inequalities Working Group, Modelling Burdenof Disease Working GroupBritish Cardiovascular Society. Annual Report 2010

8asClinical Standards Division committees:The Clinical Standard Committee met during the year. The Guidelines and Practice Committeealso met during the year.BCS reviews & responses to Consultations, Guidelines andStatements in 2009NICE Appraisals & Guidelines:> Investigation, assessment and management of chest pain> Assessment and management of acute coronary syndromes> Hypertension in pregnancy> Stable Angina> Prevention of CVD> Heart Failure> Ticagrelor for the treatment of acute coronary syndrome> Clinical Knowledge - Hypertension> Dabigatran etexilate for the prevention of stroke in atrial fibrillation> Everolimus for the prevention of organ rejection in cardiac transplantation> Rolofylline for the treatment of acute heart failure> Clopidogrel in combination with aspirin for theprevention of vascular events in atrial fibrillationOther guidelines reviewed:> National Specialist Commissioning GroupSpecialised Services National Definitions Setfor cardiology and cardiac surgery:http://www.ncg.nhs.uk/download/306/> Healthcare commission study in inequalities(Jan 09)Map of Medicine:Several pathways of care for various cardiac conditions havebeen reviewed by BCS members for the RoyalCollege of Physicians.I am delighted that the membership has elected Dr Simon RayVice PresidentElect Clinical Standards:Dr Simon Ray19your next Vice-President for Clinical Standards, and who will formally take over in June2010. I am very confident that Simon will tackle and succeed in all the continuing andfuture challenges BCS Clinical Standards Division may face.Corporate and Financial Affairs DivisionVice President: Prof Derek YellonThe financial year ending 31 December 2009 closedwith an operating surplus of over £100,000. Totalincome for the year was just over £1.1 million againsta total expenditure of £1 million. Approximately30% of the income was represented by income fromMembership with a second source of income being theHeart Journal share of profit of £316,904 (26%) and theAnnual Conference and Exhibition representing 21%of total profit of £250k.The main expenditures of the Society, which is approximately67% of total expenses, are its Administration andProperty costs, which include all core activities of theSociety (Committees and Working Group meetings) aswell as staffing costs and property maintenance. Therewas a slight increase in Administration and Property expenses in 2009 in comparison to2008, this being mainly due to the fact that the Conference management was broughtin-house with employment of two new members of staff over the 2008 & 2009 period,and an increase in the number of projects and activities run by the society, such asthe Knowledge Based Assessment (KBA) pilot in 2009 and new IT initiatives such aswebcasting of educational events. The remaining 33% of the total expenditure representsMembers Benefits Costs (Heart and Cardiosource), professional subscriptions, charitablecontributions and fellowship grants.The Finance CommitteeVice President Corporate andFinancial Affairs Division:Prof Derek YellonIn 2009 Professor Derek Yellon took over from Dr Kevin Jennings as Vice President for Corporateand Financial affairs. Two new members were appointed to the Committee during 2009these being; Dr Steven Holmberg and Dr Duncan Dymond. Dr Martin Rothman resignedfrom the committee at the end of last year and we thank him for his invaluable supportBritish Cardiovascular Society. Annual Report 2010

0during his tenure. The Committee receives very helpful and supportive advice from twoNon-Executive Members, Mr Graham Meek and Mr Tony Salter. Investment advice isprovided by Rensburg Sheppards Investment Management Limited. The Committeemeetings are also attended by the society auditor Mr Nic Kaye, who represents AELPartnership Chartered Accountants. Currently the Committee has nine members,including the President, Prof Keith Fox, and one elected member Ian Hutton. This latterpost is due for re-election in 2010. Internal financial management reporting is provided byMr Steven Yeats and Mr Wojtek Trzcinski.Finance Committee Members:DM Yellon (Chair, 2009)KAA Fox (2008)J Dymond (2009)S Holmberg (2009)I Hutton (2007)N Kaye (2003)G Meek (2003)MT Rothman (2003)T Salter (2007)W Trzcinski (BCS)S Yeats (BCS)The Annual Conference and ExhibitionThe 2009 meeting was acknowledged widely to be a considerable success from the educational,training and scientific perspective, however, overall conference revenue fell again this year.In 2009 income from the Annual Conference and Exhibition was £250k, over £50k more thaninitially projected. The target of £550,000 space sales was not reached; however, over£500,000 was achieved with total space sale income just under £503,000 (an increaseof almost £20k from 2008). Total revenue for the event reached the budgeted £800k withregistration and dinner tickets income achieving £65k more than initially forecasted.With regards to the expenses due to the current financial situation the BCS managed to negotiatewith some contractors resulting in the final costs being lower than the initial quotes. Thisresulted in spending just approximately 50k less than initially anticipated.21Bringing our Conference Management in-house proved to be successfulgiving the Society more control over the event as a whole. It alsoprovided more flexibility in responding to our members and exhibitors’needs and expectations. Even though we witnessed a slight increasein profit in comparison to the 2008 event, the Society is fully aware thatdemand for this kind of event from industry is decreasing therefore weconstantly need to review the programme and overall form of the Conference toensure that it is changing with the times and serving both the BCS members andthe industry. We also need to constantly explore other possible income sources toensure a stable financial future of the Society. The Society’s efforts to further integratethe conference and exhibition and the pre-event organisation has been recognised bythe industry and taken under consideration in planning future events. The Society believesthat the future of the BCS Conference lies in increasing educational content within theevent and more pro-active participation from exhibitors.HeartBCS Profit from Heart has increased by 7.4% in comparison with 2008. In 2009 BCS received£316,904, 50% of total journal profit for the year from BMJ. Despite current trends inthe magazine and journals publishing markets, when a number of paper journals are indecline, Heart continues to confirm its strong position in the market with a stable increasein profit and even better forecasting for the future. The BCS also continues to providefree on-line access to Heart and offers an optional discounted paper subscription to itsmembers. Members who wish to receive the paper edition of Heart may arrange to doso by contacting Fitzroy Square (enquiries@bcs.com).FellowshipsIn 2009 BCS paid out almost £200k in Fellowships. There were 3 clinical fellows supported bythe Society in 2009 these being through the Swire and the BMS fellowship programmes.The Swire fellowship programme ended in 2009 with Dr Cunnington completing hisfellowship; however, an additional £25,000 was received from the Swire Trust in 2009 tostart a new initiative to support trainees gaining experience in advanced cardiac imagingat Cedars Sinai Hospital in the USA. This sort of exchange is an excellent way for our UKtrainees to gain invaluable experience which will ultimately benefit others in their training aswell as benefitting patients. In 2009 Dr Ronak Rajani was the first person to be awardedthis new initiative allowing him to spend 6 months at the Royal Brompton Hospital inLondon and 6 months at Cedars Sinai Hospital in California. The Society continues withtwo BMS fellowships for Dr Sirker and Dr Monfredi. Dr Sirker’s fellowship is due to finishin 2010 and Dr Monfredi’s will finish in 2011. The Society is extremely grateful for thisvaluable support from both BMS and the Swire Trust.British Cardiovascular Society. Annual Report 2010

2BCS & Mayo Clinic Cardiology Review Course and the KBA PilotIn 2009 the BCS ran pilots for two new initiatives - A Cardiology Review Course and a KnowledgeBased Assessment (KBA), both of which proved a great success and will be repeatedon an annual basis. The Cardiology Review Course pilot was run in conjunction with theMayo Clinic at the Royal College of Physicians, London and attracted 80 delegates. InMembership2010 the course attracted over 250 attendees. A pilot of the KBA exam was run duringthe Annual Conference and Exhibition with 60 volunteers taking the exam.We continually encourage members to persuade their trainees and consultant colleaguesto consider joining the Society. We do require to be less dependent on the AnnualConference and Exhibition for revenue and appropriately more dependent on subscriptionincome. Membership subscription income was £350k, out of which £310k representsmembership fees and £38k represents paper Heart subscription income from members(currently chargeable to members at £80 per annum). The joint membership initiative withBANCC, BJCA and SCST proved a success with over 270 new members joining theSociety in 2009, bringing an increase in membership income of over £15K (approximately5%). It is important to appreciate that membership allows free admission to the AnnualConference and Exhibition, free on-line access to Heart and Cardiosource, the portalfor the American College of Cardiology and the Journal of the American Collegeof CardiologyEducation and Research DivisionVice President: Dr Iain A SimpsonAlthough much of the activity of this Division is focussed on the planningand delivery of the Annual Conference & Exhibition, this has now beenintegrated into a broader Education Strategy in conjunction with ourAffiliated Groups designed primarily to facilitate delivery of high qualityeducation for our trainees and all our members.Annual Conference and ExhibitionThe Programme Committee is responsible for organising and delivering the Annual Conference& Exhibition but it is the result of a huge team effort spanning our Affiliated Groups, BCSstaff, industry partners and many others.Manchester will be the venue for the next three years andhas proven to be one of the most popular venues fordelegates and exhibitors. Given the time and financialpressures on all of us, the Annual Conference &Exhibition (ACE) continues to evolve to fit the needs ofour members, trainees and industry partners. Many ofour Affiliated Groups have their own specialist annualmeetings and it is not the intention of the BCS ACEto duplicate these but rather to enhance the expertiseof the Affiliated Groups for the educational benefit ofall and for the BCS ACE to concentrate on a numberof focussed area which is it best suited to deliver. Assuch, there will be four evolving themes in future:> National training programme for trainees incardiovascular disease> Continuing Education Development for trainedspecialists> Translational and clinical research> Basic ScienceVice-PresidentEducation and Research:Dr Iain Simpson23For the individual Affiliated Groups, the BCS ACE remains an opportunity to education nonspecialists in important aspects for their specialist area, to hold educational events withother Affiliated Groups which have mutual interest and to have an opportunity to promotescientific and translational research.Although we have always tried to include sessions targeted towards trainees in cardiology, thisyear sees the inclusion of a full national training day which will be a regular event atthe BCS ACE and integrated with a second national training day in the autumn. Thesenational training days will provide a rolling programme of educational activities linked toarea or the curriculum where it is more suitable to provide quality education on a nationalbasis and also to ensure aspects of Professionalism, which may be difficult to provide ona local or regional basis, are adequately covered.The launch of Educational Spotlight sessions and themed Imaging Council sessions will,in conjunction with Affiliated Group sessions, form the basis of a more structurededucational programme which will become of increasing value and importance forsupporting and facilitating revalidation.British Cardiovascular Society. Annual Report 2010

4We are delighted that the British Heart Foundation has helped facilitate a linked, basic science trackin the conference through association with the British Atherosclerosis Society and theBritish Society for Cardiovascular Research which we hope will not only further improve theacademic input to the meeting but will also be a platform for more clinical and translationresearch to bridge the science and clinical education aspects of the BCS ACE.It is equally important that the delegates see the BCS ACE as an enjoyable event and we are keento promote professional and social networking given the limited opportunities to do so inan increasingly time-pressured environment. The recent success of a more entertainingAnnual Dinner would seem to indicate it is rapidly shedding it’s somewhat “stuffy”former reputation.Academic CommitteeThis committee, chaired by Prof. Hugh Watkins continues to provide the BCS with adviceon a variety of issues relevant to academic cardiology and cardiovascular medicine.In addition, they have a number of specific roles especially in relation to the AnnualConference & Exhibition. The academic committee is responsible for selecting the finalistfor the Young Research Workers Prize presentations; a difficult task given that there waswell in excess of 50 entries this year, having combined the Clinical and Basic Sciencecategories. Recognising the gap between young research workers and those establishedin academic cardiology, the Michael Davies Award, chosen each year by the academiccommittee celebrates the achievement of recently established, independent investigatorswho have made an outstanding contribution to cardiovascular science with the awardwinner presenting at the Annual Conference & Exhibition.Education StrategyAlthough the Annual Conference & Exhibition remains a pivotal BCS educational event, thedevelopment and initial implementation of a broader education strategy has been a majorfocus for the Division and will define much of its efforts in the coming years. We believethat the BCS and its Affiliated Groups should be leaders in cardiovascular education.Although we have no direct responsibility for training, or indeed the educational contentof individual training programmes, with the expertise of our collective membership, we areuniquely positioned to deliver high quality education mapped to the cardiology curriculum.In addition, with the development of revalidation, it is important we can support ourmembers with an educational programme that not only fulfils the needs of revalidation butensures we all maintain our knowledge, skills and professionalism throughout our careersin cardiovascular medicine. An education strategy tailored to these needs will providea valuable resource for our membership and underpin the aspirations of the BCS topromoting excellence in cardiovascular care.Communication and Education CommitteeChair: Dr Sarah ClarkeChaired by Dr. Sarah Clarke, this is one of the busiest BCS committees and is akey component for delivering the BCS educationstrategy. Under the auspices of the Communication& Education committee there are a number of keyactivities which include:> Developing a rolling National Training Dayprogramme for Trainees> BCS & Mayo Clinic Cardiology Review Course> Education Officers Sub-group> Reporting and webcasting of Annual Conference& Exhibition> www.bcs.com> Education links with the Joint SpecialtyCommittee of the Royal College of PhysiciansThe first joint BCS & Mayo Clinic Cardiology Review Coursewas a major success in 2009 and, as a result, thecapacity has been increased in 2010. The programme25Communication andEducation Committe Chair:Dr Sarah Clarkehas been developed by Dr. Alun Harcombe for the BCS and Dr. Peter Brady at theMayo Clinic, focussed around the needs of trainees in preparation for their knowledgebased assessment, but is also proving popular for other trainees from the UK and fromEurope as well as many trained cardiologists who are finding it useful as part of their owncontinuing professional development.The Education Officers subgroup, chaired by Dr. David Roberts, brings together representativesfrom the Affiliated Groups, and will gather, coordinate and disseminate information aboutexisting educational programmes mapped to the cardiology curriculum. It will also identifygaps in education requirements where educational programme may be developed,especially in areas of professionalism as well as the newer and less well covered areasof the curriculum. In the medium and long term we hope to be able to construct acomprehensive map of curriculum based education activities at national and regionallevels. This will also help to inform the content of our own National Training Days beingdeveloped by Dr. Mark Gunning.British Cardiovascular Society. Annual Report 2010

6forTraining DivisionVice-President: Prof Stuart CobbeFinally, the editorial content of www.bcs.com is regularly populated by our group of sub-editorsunder the direction of Dr. Conrad Murphy and the reporting and webcasting of the AnnualConference & Exhibition by our roving reporters under the guidance of Dr. Alison Calver isa valuable education resource especially for those unfortunate enough not to be able toattend the BCS ACE, left behind to cover the clinical service.I look forward to seeing as many of you as possible at the BCS Annual Conference & Exhibition inManchester over the next few years.The main activities of the Division continue to overlapwith those of the Specialist Advisory Committee inCardiology (SAC), which is chaired by Prof StuartCobbe, BCS Vice-President for Training with Dr JimHall, Vice-President elect for Training, as Secretary.Through its office bearers and membership, theSociety has a major influence in determining SACpolicy. There has been no let-up in the pace of changein the organisation of Postgraduate Education &Training, and the Division & SAC have had a busy year! Vice-PresidentTraining Division:Further turbulence is likely, as the implicationsProf Stuart Cobbeof the absorption of the Postgraduate MedicalEducation & Training Board (PMETB) into the General Medical Council beginto work through into policy.Cardiology CurriculumThe 2007 Cardiology curriculum has been revised to bring it fully into line with PMETBrequirements. This process, led by Jim Hall, has occurred in parallel with the piloting ofadditional methods of assessment, such as Case-Based Discussion, Patient SatisfactionQuestionnaire, Teaching Assessment, and Audit Assessment. These assessmentsare not all additional to the current ones, in the sense that Case-Based Discussion,27example, can be used as an alternative to the Mini-Clinical Examination (mini-CEX)to assess competence in some areas of the curriculum. The revised curriculum nowincludes reference to generic areas of good medical practice, communication, medicalleadership and a greater emphasis on public health issues. The updated curriculumwas presented to PMETB on time in November 2009. It has been approved with minorchanges, and will be operational for trainees entering Specialty Registrar posts at ST3level in August 2010.Knowledge-Based AssessmentArrangements are on course for the first live exam of the Knowledge-Based Assessment (KBA)in Cardiology to be held during the BCS Annual Conference & Exhibition in Manchester.A successful pilot KBA was held in 2009, when around 60 trainees assisted the Societyby acting as “guinea-pigs” to test the practicalities & logistics of the examination. Theresults were analysed by Prof Chris McManus, an authority in psychometric testing &examinations, and deemed to have sufficient reliability to form the basis of the formalKBA. A standard-setting group chaired by Dr Rob Wright has been formed to determinethe pass mark, using techniques similar to those in use for the MRCP examination.There will be a single Multiple –Choice examination of 120 best-of- five questions to testknowledge of the Core Curriculum. The examination will be computer-based, and willinclude interpretation of ECGs, echocardiograms and other imaging modalities. It willbe taken in the 3rd year of Specialty Training (ST5). Given the high quality of entrantsinto Cardiology, we envisage that the great majority of trainees (85-95%) will achieve anadequate standard in this test at the first attempt. Failure to do so will not automaticallyprevent further progression, but would be considered along with all other evidence of atrainee’s progress in the annual ARCP process. Opportunities to re-sit the KBA will beavailable in ST6 and ST7, but ultimately a trainee will need to pass in order to receive theCertificate of Completion of Training.The KBA is part of a European project, which may ultimately lead to a Europe-wide knowledgeassessment. Supported by the European Society of Cardiology, it is dependent on theefforts of an international question-setting group, chaired by Dr Nick Brooks, of whomaround two thirds are UK-based. The question bank being developed will ultimatelybe used in other European countries, and discussions are underway with the DutchCardiology Society to see the KBA launched there in 2010.British Cardiovascular Society. Annual Report 2010

8Recruitment into ST3Following the implementation of the Tooke report into the MMC/MTAS fiasco, Core Medical Training hasnow been “uncoupled” from Higher Specialist Training. As a result, recruitment into Cardiology atST3 level will occur on an open basis in 2010 in England & Wales, and in 2011 in Scotland. TheSAC in Cardiology is cooperating with four other medical specialties (Diabetes & Endocrinology,Gastroenterology, Geriatric Medicine & Renal Medicine) in piloting a central recruitmentportal, hosted by the Royal College of Physicians of London. This scheme utilises nationallystandardised person specifications, application forms, shortlisting criteria & interview format,although selection will take place at Deanery level. If individual Deaneries have unfilled ST3places, the opportunity exists for a “clearing” mechanism, whereby appointable but unsuccessfulcandidates from one Deanery may wish to be considered for appointment in another Deanery,using a standardised transferable interview score.Quality AssuranceThe SAC has a role in advising PMETB on the quality of Postgraduate Medical Education.Previously, this was undertaken by means of Deanery visits, which included interviewswith trainees. One of the first actions of PMETB was to ban SAC visits to Deaneries asbeing disruptive and not cost-effective. Deaneries, through their Schools of Medicine,are required to report to PMETB on the quality of their training, and a copy of thesereports comes to the SAC for review and collation into a National report on training inthe specialty. As may be appreciated, this system provides no true external view on thequality of training in a Deanery, and the SAC has been arguing for a return to some formof external oversight. Although SAC visits will not be reinstituted, there are encouragingdevelopments towards re-establishing the principle of external review of training quality.And finallyThis is my last report as Vice-President for Training for the Society. It has been a pleasure andprivilege to serve the Society over the last four years. I would like to acknowledge mygratitude to all who have helped to support postgraduate training in Cardiology, inparticular Jim Hall and all other members of the SAC, and Kirsten Bradbury,Mary-Lou Pitts & Steven Yeats at Fitzroy Square.CARDIOLOGY REVIEWCOURSE 20117 to 11 March 2011At the Royal College of Physicians,LondonFull 5 day programme matched to theCardiology Curriculum.A faculty that includes key figures inCardiovascular Medicine.Registration and furtherdetails on www.bcs.com

0WomenRepresentativefor Womenin Cardiology:Dr Rachael JamesOther Reportsin UK CardiologyDr Rachael JamesIn less than six months in 2009 there were two reports specifically31examining the role of women in the medical workforce. The Royal Collegeof Physicians’ report Women and Medicine: The Future (June 2009) prepared byMary Ann Elston, Emeritus Reader in Medical Sociology at Royal Holloway,and the National Working Group on Women in Medicine, chaired by BaronessRuth Deech, Women Doctors: Making a Difference (October 2009) which wascommissioned by Sir Liam Donaldson. The reports were, in part, preparedin response to concern about leadership in medicine and to betterunderstand the economic and organisational impact of an increasinglyfemale profession.Both reports highlight the lack of parity amongst medical specialities and the gender imbalancein academia and leadership roles. Causes of gender imbalance in different areas ofmedicine are complex and are not necessarily a result of simplistic discrimination.Furthermore, they will not necessarily be addressed by the increasing numbers of femalegraduates. However, both reports have detailed the effectiveness and importance of rolemodels and mentoring for women.Mentor groups and women’s forums have had a positive influence on the progression of femaleacademics and have been shown to be useful in cardiology. The BCS has a newlyupdated, speciality and region specific list of female Consultant Cardiologists as aresource for SpRs and young doctors interested in cardiology as a career. I would liketo take this opportunity to invite all Cardiologists who are keen to offer their mentoringservices, regardless of gender, to let me have their contact details. A balanced cardiacworkforce is important to reflect society as a whole and to ensure we continue to recruitfrom the most talented young trainees. Please contact me via enquiries@bcs.com if youare interested in taking part in mentoring.British Cardiovascular Society. Annual Report 2010

2Joint Working Group for Women’s Heart HealthChair BCS Working Group for Women’s Heart Health, Dr Jane FlintChair BCS Working Group forWomen’s Heart Health:Dr Jane FlintThe Euroheart Work Package 6 centred on Women and CardiovascularDisease (CVD) has been the main focus of joint activity during this last year.Working together with representatives from the British Heart Foundationand National Heart Forum we completed a significant contribution to theresearch work performed within the framework, including Campaigns andProgrammes on Women and CVD targeting women, Educational Programmeson Women and CVD targeting health professionals, and issues of Genderspecificity covering legislation (Equality Duty in UK), and the responsibilitiesof educational, professional and research organisations to observe andeffect change.We shared our BCS Joint Working Group Recommendations with other national co-ordinatorsfrom across Europe, and our co-operative efforts involving our Affiliated Groups includingpatients, health professionals and other relevant organisations was appreciated. Theimportance of evaluation was an important learning outcome for all. We made a significantattempt to reflect current Medical School and postgraduate gender-specific teachingpractice; the situation is clearly one ripe for audit. Our Women’s Track through the AnnualConference and Exhibition (ACE) was noted. The BCS approach to tackle the issueof there being still too few Women in UK Cardiology was also reflected in the researchperformed within Work Package 6.BCS Cardiovascular Society JointWorking Group RecommendationsFor Women’s Heart Healthnational co-ordinators in January 2010 in Brussels. The main focuson Women and Cardiovascular Research in Europe highlighted thatthe 62 randomised clinical trials published since 2006 enrolled only33.5% women, and only 50% of the trials performed any gender analysis.“Despite an increase in the number and proportion of women enrolled incardiovascular clinical trials, there is still an under-representation of women,particularly in the fields of cholesterol-lowering therapy, ischaemic heart diseaseand heart failure, which may have affected the reliability of subgroup analysis.”E-documents are available for anyone who would like a copy. If you would like acopy please email enquiries@bcs.com33This document provides a final major evidence base to embellish the research section of ourfull BCS Joint Working Group Recommendations’ Report for Women’s Heart Health.Aspirations are being shared with the JBS3 Working Group, as well as being furtherdisseminated within both local, Network and national meetings addressing Inequalities.The recently emerging Marmot Review: “Fair Society, Healthy Lives” provides addedimpetus to the vital context of our work as a stakeholder in the future of cardiovascularhealth for all.BMJ Report from Heart JournalEditor: Prof Adam Timmis1. Heart welcomes Perry Elliott as new Deputy Editor sitting alongside John Sanderson.Meanwhile a major reorganisation at BMJ Publishing sees Christiane Notomarco asHeart’s new Publisher and Craig Raybould as its Journal Manager, replacing JanetO’Flaherty and Claire Jura who take over other management responsibilities within theorganisation.2. Heart’s impact factor increased to 4.96 in 2009, the highest it has ever been.3. Submission rates remain high (c 1,000 original research articles per year) with theinevitable corollary of high (c 86%) reject rates.4. Other metrics are increasingly favourable for authors with median time to first decisionfor original research articles now only 5 weeks and time from acceptance to paperpublication about 15 weeks.An inspiring November 2009 meeting welcomed the launch of the report ‘Red Alert forWomen’s Hearts’ at a prime networking and presentation event held at The HeartHouse in Nice. The BCS Newswire linked to a summary of the outcome, and a finalsummary document was issued after a final joint consultation of the Advisory Board andBritish Cardiovascular Society. Annual Report 2010

4MembershipMembership andConferenceCostsCurrent Membership Fees are:> £220 + VAT for ordinary membership> £140 + VAT if you do not hold clinics, e.g. you are a nurse, cardiac physiologist,basic scientist35We believe that BCS membership remains great value for our members. We continue to negotiatewith our membership service providers to ensure that our costs can remain as low aspossible, and to look for new benefits and services that members can make use of. TheHonorary Secretary’s report gives full details of BCS membership benefits.Joint MembershipGetting Involved!Launched in 2008, BCS’ joint membership packages offer significant fee reductions whilstretaining the same BCS benefits that have proved so valuable to our members. Jointmembership is currently available for:BJCA & BCS MembershipBANCC & BCS MembershipSCST & BCS MembershipJoint membership is £100 for non-consultants and £300 for consultants or physicians. To applyfor joint membership, visit our website to download the application form. We hope to beable to offer further joint membership types in the future.International BCS MembershipBCS is continuing its offer of International Membership for just £75 + VAT, which was launched in2007. International membership is for those working in cardiovascular health, science anddisease management outside of the UK.Members ViewsWe are keen to listen to the views of our members. If you have a comment or query on your BCSmembership you can email us at enquiries@bcs.comThe BCS is run for and with its members: our staff manage the day to day running of theorganisation, but the strategic direction of the Society is set by the members whovolunteer their time to take on posts in our Executive, Board and Committees. There are avariety of ways that you can get involved in the Society. Here are a few examples.British Cardiovascular Society. Annual Report 2010

6ElectionsEach year, we run elections for the vacant posts in the Executive and Committees of BCS. Wehave historically achieved a great response to our elections with nominations comingthrough from across the UK for the available posts and the elections themselves show ahealthy proportion of our members are keen to cast their vote.With a history dating back to the 1920’s, BCS has been privileged to have had some of the keyfigures in Cardiovascular medicine on our Executive and Committees.Network Service AdvisorsThe BCS Network Service Advisor role is to help with:> assessing job plans for new consultant appointments> acting as college advisor on the appointments committee for the RCP> providing advice and support on Revalidation (once it starts)There are currently 39 Network Service Advisors, one for each Cardiac Network in the UK.ArchivesOur offices in Fitzroy Square hold some of the archivesfrom our long history and beyond; we havedisplays that include some of the earliestcardiovascular equipments, such as the firstclinical electrocardiograph and one of the first everpacemaker devices. We also have a wealth ofhistorical texts on Cardiovascular medicine.Dr Arthur Hollman is the BCS Archivist.Any member who wishes to view our archives or evenmake a contribution to them, can contact us onenquiries@bcs.comWeb EditorsBCS News on our homepage is an ever popular sectionDr Arthur Hollmanof our website, with articles regularly attracting ahigh number of viewers. In 2008 a team of sub-editors from BCS SpR Members wererecruited to write news items on relevant topics in Cardiovascular Medicine. Thesearticles continue to be some of the most widely read articles on our website and theyincrease our websites’ usefulness for Trainees and newly appointed Consultants. The2009-10 sub-editors are:Adrian ChengDoughie ElderShane GieowarsinghSam GrovesSadia KhanPegah SalahshouriUsha PrasadTushar RainaNabeel SheikhRhidian SheltonSreekumar SulfiVenkatesan SureshRoshan WeerackodyPaul WilliamsAndrew WiperRecent articles have included contemporary topics such as:> Are Outcomes and Complications Post Catheter Ablation for Atrial FibrillationDependent on Gender> Gene therapy for cardiovascular disease - white knight or white elephant?> Recent advances in the use of statins in PCI37If you are interested in becoming a sub-editor for our website, contact us on enquiries@bcs.comAnnual Conference and ExhibitionEach year at the Annual Conference, we have volunteer BCS SpR Members who take on therole of ‘roving reporters’. The roving reporters give overview reports on highlight sessionsof the conference. These informative reports are held on the BCS website. If you areinterested in becoming a roving reporter, contact us at enquiries@bcs.comBritish Cardiovascular Society. Annual Report 2010

8treatmentAnnual Conference and Exhibition 2009Scenes from the Exhibition ACE09 Lecture ACE09 Simulator ACE09In June 2009, our Annual Conference and Exhibition was held in the ExCeLCentre, Docklands. It was the first time that BCS has used this London venue;it proved to be a popular choice and the great venue was complimentedby some rare sunshine. The Conference was attended by professionalsinvolved in delivering cardiovascular care; including cardiologists, nurses,physiologists, physicians and scientists. We had over 2,500 attendees thisyear, 75% of the attendees were Consultant Cardiologists or Trainees.The Conference has evolved over recent years and although its scientific content remainsimportant, it has become much more of an educational meeting. BCS works with itsAffiliated Groups and other partner organisations to produce a first class programme ofeducational sessions, covering all aspects of Cardiovascular Medicine. Key sessionsfrom this year included:> BCS with the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) - Guidelines and Guidance> BCS with the American College of Cardiology (ACC) - Heart Failure plenary> Paul Wood lecture given by Dr Valentin Fuster - Promotion of Cardiovascular Health:From Risk Factors to Imaging and Genomics> BCS Lecture given by Prof John Deanfield - Investing in your arteries! Lifetimemanagement of atherosclerosis> BCS with the British Heart Foundation - Access to Cardiac Care in the UK reportWebcasts of the major sessions at the Conference are available for members to view on the BCSwebsite (www.bcs.com).The Wednesday programme focussed on Cardiac Rhythm Management to attract delegatesinterested in this area who might only be able to attend for a day. Led by our AffiliatedGroup Heart Rhythm UK, the day included sessions on Atrial Fibrillation - improving39through understanding mechanisms; Devices - Pacemakers ICD & CRT; andthe Strickland Goodall Lecture given by David Newby on Intravascular Thrombosis - newfrontiers in endothelial function.Despite the current financial crisis, BCS had a full Exhibition this year with over 85 companiespresent. The exhibition is a crucial component to the success of our annual event,enabling our delegates to keep up to date with innovative and developing technologies,pharmacology, diagnostic equipment, educational materials and more. This year theExhibition was further integrated into the programme with a greater number of educationalactivities occurring in the Exhibition area throughout the meeting. The simulators provedas popular as ever with attendees getting the chance to try their hand at PCI, Echo, EPand Patient simulators. An innovation of this year’s Exhibition was the “Meet the Expert”sessions that ran around the Exhibition Hall providing “snapshots” of good clinical advicein interesting or difficult areas of clinical practice. Topics included: Dilemmas and escapesin primary PCI; Pressure wire; use and misuse; and Inappropriate Shocks - horror stories.The highly regarded “How to” sessions were this year held in separate theatres within themain Exhibition Hall and included the following topics:> How to manage the pregnant patient with valve disease> How to assess risk in acute coronary syndromes> How to assess cardiovascular risk before non cardiac surgery> How to use pacemakers and defibrillators in congenital heart diseaseThe BCS Annual Dinner had a more relaxed atmosphere, with entertainment that included a liveband and magicians. With over 300 people attending the dinner, it was BCS’ largestsocial event to date.British Cardiovascular Society. Annual Report 2010

02010 Annual Conference and ExhibitionBCS Annual Dinner2010 sees our 88th Annual Conference and Exhibition, a three day meeting ofeducational and scientific interest in Cardiovascular Medicine. The eventwill be held in the newly renovated Manchester Central. The Conferenceprogramme has a theme of case based presentations interspersed withplenary sessions of a clinical, scientific and translational nature.> The keynote lectures this year will be given by Prof David Crossman (the BCS/RCPLecture supported by the Joy Edelman Legacy, ‘New discoveries and their translation toman’), Dr Edward Rowland (BCS Lecture, ‘Managing the cardiac rhythms of life’), ProfPatrick Serruys (Thomas Lewis lecture, ‘Biodegradable drug eluting stent or vascularrestoration therapy for percutaneous revascularization’) and Prof Keith Fox (‘From the cellto the bedside’, a symposium in the memory of Philip Poole-Wilson).> The exhibition will showcase the latest developments in cardiovascular medicine and newtechnologies. Stands from over 80 companies from the wide arena of Cardiovascularmedicine will be present, making our Exhibition the largest in Cardiovascular medicine inthe UK. Following on from developments at last years’ event, the Exhibition will includegreater number of educational activities such as:> Moderated Posters> “Meet the Experts” An innovation of the 2009 Exhibition, these sessions provide“snapshots” of good clinical advice in interesting or difficult areas of clinical practice.Topics in 2010 will include:- Pacing the poor ventricle: who, when and where- VT Ablation; Underused or oversold?- Assessing Aortic Valve Disease in the era of percutaneous treatment> Cardiac simulator training with opportunities for all to try their hand at the latestequipment available from TOE to Harvey> The popular “How to” sessions will return to this years’ ACE, but willbe held in larger theatres to allow for the high number of attendeesthat these sessions attract. This years’ topics include the following:- How to deal with EP in the ER- How to image the aorta- How to assess risk before cardiac surgery- How to deal with asymptomatic valve disease- How to interpret and critically appraise a clinical trial.41> The educational content of the ACE 2010 has been based on the new EuropeanCurriculum, and includes a Trainee day that will have a session from the SAC as wellas covering a wide variety of topics such as Cardiac Operations, Cardiac Fitness to Fly,Nuclear Cardiology, Valve Treatment and the Athletes Heart. The ACE 2010 will giveattendees the opportunity to gain CPD points and review the general cardiovascularknowledge that will be required for revalidation.> A new highlight will be Educational Spotlight sessions where the focus will be ondifferent topics, each fitting to a 90 minute session. These Spotlights are designed to bedigestible education presented in a dynamic format and with robust evidence based takehome messages.> As well as its’ great educational content, the ACE 2010 offers attendees a great opportunityto meet colleagues from other centres and hospitals to review and share experiencesand to enjoy a night at the BCS Annual Dinner! This year’s Annual Dinner will be held atthe Manchester Town Hall, with entertainment from magicians and a jazz band. Duringthe Annual Dinner, the President of BCS will give out the BCS Awards and Prizes thatare made each year. These include the Young Research Workers Prizes (Basic andClinical) to recognise excellence among young researchers intending to pursue a careerin cardiovascular clinical medicine or research, the Michael Davies Early Career Award tohonour researchers who have recently established themselves as independent investigatorsand who have made an outstanding contribution to cardiovascular science, and theMacKenzie Medals given as recognition of outstanding service to British Cardiology.> At this years’ event there will be a linked meeting with British Atherosclerosis Societyand British Society for Cardiovascular Research at the ACE 2010. This joint initiative willinclude hot topics and developments in cardiovascular research, the Young Investigatoraward and the BAS John French lecture.British Cardiovascular Society. Annual Report 2010

Dr Boon presenting the Michael Davies Award toDr Costanza Emanueli2> On Monday 7 June, PCCS will be holding afternoon sessions for their members onCardiovascular Guidelines.> The Future of Cardiac Commissioning – a one day symposium for commissioners andmanagers on Wednesday 9th June developed in conjunction with the Departmentof Health and NHS Improvement, focussing the challenges of commissioning qualityservices and showcasing the very latest developments in this area.Members of the British Cardiovascular Society can register for their place at the ACE 2010free before the end of March each year. For online registration and full details of theprogramme, go to www.bcs.comBCS Annual Awards 2009During the Annual Dinner, the President of BCS gave out the BCS Awards and Prizes whichare made each year. These included the Young Research Workers Prizes (Basic andClinical) to recognise excellence among young researchers intending to pursue a careerin cardiovascular clinical medicine or research, the Michael Davies Early Career Awardto honour researchers who have recently established themselves as independentinvestigators and who have made an outstanding contribution to cardiovascular science,and the MacKenzie Medals given as recognition of outstanding service to BritishCardiology. The 2009 winners were:> Young Research Workers Prize Clinical - Dr Nicola Edwards> Young Research Workers Prize Basic - Dr Rizwan Sarwar and Dr Alexander Lyon(joint winners)> Michael Davies Early Career Award - Dr Costanza Emanueli> MacKenzie Medals - Prof Roger Hall and Dr John BirkheadAnnuAl ConferenCeAnd exhibition 201113 to 15 June,at Manchester CentralFree registration for BCS Members by theearly bird deadline 31 March 2011.Abstract submission deadline1 December 2010.www.bcs.com

4ArrhythmiaFounder and Trustee:Mrs Trudie LobbanMBEAffiliated Groups ReportsAlliance (A-A)Founder and Trustee: Mrs Trudie Lobban MBE45Arrhythmia Alliance is an international organisation, striving to improvethe treatment, care and quality of life for the millions of people sufferingwith arrhythmias around the globe. We aim to redress the balance inhealthcare standards by providing support, information and advice to allthose involved in managing the care and treatment of patients, from familyand carers to medical and healthcare professionals.2009 proved to be another successful year for Arrhythmia Alliance. Our annual eventsexperienced extraordinary success with a record number of delegates attending theHeart Rhythm Congress and the most events ever held for Arrhythmia Awareness Week(AAAW) across the length and breadth of the UK. Through active presence at events andconferences internationally, increased media coverage and the expansion of all our workat a grassroots level, Arrhythmia Alliance has seen a remarkable rise in the awareness ofthe organisation and its projects and campaigns.Arrhythmia Awareness Week 2009 was launched at The House of Commons on the 8th Juneand set the tone for the week, with over 1100 events held across the UK, and countlessmore internationally. The message of ‘Know Your Pulse’ proved successful, with over250,000 Pulse Check Cards distributed during the week. Arrhythmia Alliance encourageroutine pulse checks with the aim that they become as common as blood pressure andweight checks. Running in conjunction with AAAW, is the international awareness week;World Heart Rhythm Week (WHRW). The week brings together our partner organisations,affiliates, individuals and organisations from across the globe to highlight arrhythmias onan international scale. The week centred on the same informative message of ‘Know YourPulse’ and over 100,000 Pulse Check Cards were distributed internationally.Arrhythmia Awareness Week and World Heart Rhythm Week 2010 will be held between the 7thand 13th of June, continuing the theme of ‘Know Your Pulse’. AAAW will concentrateon raising the profile of the charity and this routine health procedure by holding regionalevents targeting the general public. With the addition of international partners toArrhythmia Alliance, WHRW will have the opportunity for outreach and awareness at alocal level in many countries.The fourth annual Heart Rhythm Congress was held at the Birmingham Hilton Metropole Hotel. Theconference played host to presentations, symposiums and lively debates centred on cardiacBritish Cardiovascular Society. Annual Report 2010

6Trudie Lobbanreceiving MBEarrhythmias and optimising care. The most popular item agenda was the dynamic casesand traces session, with enthusiastic speakers and an energetic discussion. With a largerexhibition and greater attendance than ever before, hopes are high for next year’s event.Arrhythmia Alliance held regional meetings in 8 areas of the UK in 2009, with an average of 100delegates per meeting. Covering popular topics, the meetings were of great interestfor both patients and medical professionals. In 2010, Arrhythmia Alliance will hold 22meetings across the UK for patients and medical professionals. Patients will be providedwith information on how to get the best out of local services as well as an opportunityto ask questions. Medical professionals will hear experts talk on topical issues such asanticoagulation and the latest ESC guidelines.The Restart the Heart initiative has proved successful both in the UK, and internationally,the project has gained approval from Ambulance Services, allowing the life savingequipment to go live. AEDs have been placed across the UK and more recently towns inWarwickshire have become ‘heart safe’ with equipment placed in high footfall areas.In response to the hundreds of thousands of phone calls and e-mails for support throughoutthe year, Arrhythmia Alliance plans to develop ‘The Heart Rhythm Charity’, the patientarm of the organisation, more extensively in the coming year. A 2009 Patient Newsletterhas already been written and distributed with a great response. This focused newsletterwill become a regular feature as further resources are developed, including a range ofchildren’s information booklets to inform and reassure the child of their condition andrelevant treatments.Arrhythmia Alliance has exciting plans for 2010 and will build upon previous successes toensure the patient’s voice remains the focus of our work. Through international projects,campaigns and events we will strive to improve the diagnosis, treatment and care forpatients with cardiac arrhythmias.British Association for Cardiac Rehabilitation (BACR)President: Dr John BuckleyBACR has moved towards enhancing the previousachievements led by Past President ProfessorPatrick Doherty, with a new CARE plan in place, whichstands for C = continuing the national campaign,A = augmenting its professional recognition througheducation, training and increasing the profile ofthese services, R = reaching out to other groupsand associations with a common interest in theprevention and rehabilitation of people at risk of orliving with diseases of the heart and circulation, andE = engaging more with its members.Dr John Buckley47BACR is a membership organisation, and the current council are now focussed on enhancingtheir ability to hear and communicate better with the members they represent, puttingthem at the heart of the future developments.The infrastructure of the Council has been formalised by having an Executive Coordinating Group(ECG) made up of the President, President Elect, Treasurer, Secretary and ScientificOfficer. From this stem three core committees of Membership and Communications,Education and Training, and Conferences. Each committee has a Chair from theelected officers and it is the role of the ECG to ensure these three groups work in anintegrated way.It has been another highly active year with a successful conference in Birmingham in October,2009, the Education programme continues to attract large numbers attending one ortwo-day study days in addition to the 10th year of operation of the Exercise InstructorQualification which has acted as a prototype of many of the new exercise qualificationsbeing developed for the health and fitness industry for other clinical populations.This is not to say that everything is good and the job is done. On the contrary the job is justcoming out of the starting blocks, with some serious challenges ahead, mainly highlightedby the BHF National Audit for Cardiac Rehabilitation. These include:British Cardiovascular Society. Annual Report 2010

8TheBACR Conference 2009> Only 38% mean CR uptake nationally> Too few women getting CR> Not enough CR services geared to attract ethnic groups> Only 40% of programmes have a defined business case> Reduced referral to CR from Primary PCI> Poor alignment between many Hospital Trusts and PCTs in the delivery of CR> Too few community based opportunities for CR> Need for more CR champions to fight for local solutions> Limited engagement between CR providers and commissioners in some regions> And the continued challenge of establishing a full CR tariff to aid commissioningSo there is plenty of work ahead but given what we have achieved this year we believe that wehave the expertise and desire to achieve even more.The BACR would like to thank Council members for their dedication and we would also like tothank the BACR members for their unwavering support. We look forward to tackling thesenew challenges, together, and celebrating success at our annual conference in Liverpool.There are new challenges for many new faces on Council but there is certainly no lack ofenthusiasm to meet the challenges and this should manifest many visual and operationalmatters being highlighted towards enhancing member services. For more information,contact bacr@bcs.comBritish Association for Nursing in Cardiovascular Care (BANCC)Acting President and Hon Secretary: Jan KeenanThe past year has been an exceptionally busy time for BANCC, in particularin our redoubled efforts to engage the membership in contributing to thework of the Association, as well as continuing to develop ways in which wecan provide ‘added value’ to the membership.year started with a difficult time, as our incoming Presidentstepped down, leaving the Council with the dilemmaas to how to continue the Association’s work. Withsignificant help from the incoming Council membersand exceptional administrative support, we have beenable to maintain the work of the Association as wellas to progress significantly into developing areas.Representation at international and national events and onCouncils, such as the Council on CardiovascularNursing and Allied Professions (CCNAP) in Europe.Our contribution this year to the BCS AnnualConference and Exhibition is developed in partnershipwith the SCST, PCCS and BACR, and we are verypleased to be working in collaboration with other BCSaffiliate groups.Acting President andHon Secretary:Jan Keenan49Members of Council and BANCC members are involved in workin progress, along with members of the BCS and other organisations, to contribute to thedevelopment of the new JBS3 guidelines for prevention in cardiovascular disease.We have also been developing the research interests and focus of the Association, clarifyingthe contribution made to research of cardiovascular nurses, and taking forward theresearch agenda.We continue to be involved in the work of the cardiovascular coalition (CVC), and BANCCmembers have been approached to contribute to the recent review of the impact ofthe National Service Framework for Coronary Heart Disease. We continue to developour input in to NICE consultations, engaging the membership wherever it is possible todevelop our contribution to a broad range of topic areas, and in particular recently theNICE guidance on Chronic Heart Failure, the Management of Chest Pain, and AcuteCoronary Syndromes due to be published in 2010.We have further promoted and developed working with BCS to offer all our members improvedaccess to news and information, and demonstrated the benefits of joint membership. Weare further developing collaborative working with other organisations and improving linkswith the Royal College of Nursing Cardiovascular Nurses’ Network, and continue to workclosely with the British Journal of Cardiac Nursing. We were pleased to meet some ofour members, and indeed to recruit some new members, at the November 2009 ‘NurseLed Clinics’ conference held in Manchester, in which we were pleased to have played asignificant role in programme development and delivery. We are pleased to be supportingBritish Cardiovascular Society. Annual Report 2010

0The British Atherosclerosis Society (BAS) holds two meeting a year, in Springthe RCN’s ‘Nursing Counts’ campaign, calling for the protection of specialist nurses in therun-up to the 2010 general election.For further information about the work of the Association, contact Jan Keenan, Acting Presidentand Hon. Secretary via e-mail at; bancc@bcs.comBritish Atherosclerosis Society (BAS)Chair: Prof Dorian Haskardand Autumn. Meetings are held over two days, and are attended by 100-150delegates. Programmes are centred on a theme, and aim to integrate basicscience with clinical translation.In 2009, a combined Spring Meeting was held with the British Society for CardiovascularResearch at St Catherine’s College Oxford and included oral presentations on the topic ofatherosclerotic plaque rupture, posters, the John French Lecture (delivered byDr Robin Choudhury, University of Oxford) and the Michael Davies Young InvestigatorAward (sponsored by the BHF). The Autumn meeting was held at Queens’ CollegeCambridge and focused on the genetics of complex diseases. The Hugh Sinclair Lecturewas delivered by Prof Leena Peltonen, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Cambridge.The next meeting of the BAS will be a combined meeting “New Frontiers in CardiovascularResearch” with the British Society for Cardiovascular Research on June 7th-8th inManchester, embedded in the BCS Annual Conference and Exhibition.Further details from http://www.britathsoc.orgBritish Congenital Cardiac Association (BCCA)President: Dr Shak QureshiShak Qureshi (Evelina Children’s Hospital, London) replaced BillBrawn as president of the BCCA at the AGM in Liverpool in Novemberwith Tony Salmon (Southampton) elected as Vice President to take overas President from Shak in November 2011.51The ongoing issue of rationalisation of paediatric cardiac services continues to provide abackdrop for much of the association’s efforts over the last 12 months. The BCCA’sposition remains supportive of changes that will improve the care of patients withcongenital heart disease, provided rationalisation is supported with sufficient financial andlogistic resources. As a result of dialogue about the future of congenital cardiac services,the association has invested considerable time developing written standards andguidelines over recent months for best practice in the care of our patients, including thosedefining the role of DGH’s in the outpatient care of paediatric cardiac patients, standardsfor tertiary fetal cardiac services, standards for fetal cardiac screening (feeding into the DHfetal anomaly screening programme) and in conjunction with our colleagues in BCIS aswell as the society as a whole, guidelines for trans-catheter intervention in adult patientswith congenital heart disease. We continue to take our responsibilities to the growingadult congenital heart disease population very seriously. The BCCA has been involvedin a number of important recent projects to positively shape services for these patientsincluding the “GUCH” guide, and guidelines designed to promote high quality care foradult congenital heart disease patients.We were involved in the British Cardiovascular Society’s Annual Conference and Exhibition lastyear with well supported sessions on holistic management of congenital heart diseaseand the management of coarctation of the aorta, as well as BCCA contributions to theinteractive educational feel of the meeting. This year will see BCCA sessions on Tetralogyof Fallot and genetic cardiac disease. The 2009 BCCA Annual General Meeting was heldin Liverpool in November in the fabulous surroundings of St George’s Hall. The standardof organisation and lectures at the BCCA Annual Meetings continues to be consistentlyof the highest standard, this year dealing with topical issues such as aortic and mitralvalve repair, inherited arrhythmia and adult congenital intervention with an internationalfaculty including Lee Benson from Toronto and Yves D’Udekem from Melbourne. Nextyear’s meeting will be in Winchester under the auspices of the Southampton congenitalcardiac unit. In addition to the BCS and BCCA meetings, a third BCCA endorsed meetingBritish Cardiovascular Society. Annual Report 2010

2Reflectingdeserves mention and the support of BCS members. The 6th national Adult CongenitalHeart Disease Symposium was held in York in May, providing a necessary forum for thoseinterested in this growing sub-speciality of adult congenital heart disease in the UK.The CCAD project enters its 10th year and remains the only international externally validatedoutcome database of which members of the BCCA are justifiably proud. Data is openlyavailable to the public and recently individual operators have been able to view their ownresults against national datasets. Hopefully this sort of personal outcome data will provideassistance for some members of the BCCA when revalidation finally hits us, a matter ofincreasing anxiety for small but diverse organisations such as ours!Although there are many issues facing members of the BCCA, not least understandable anxietysurrounding the ongoing rationalisation process against the backdrop of a growing publicsector deficit, the BCCA remains a vigorous and growing association with well over 350members drawn from all professional groups with an interest in the care of patients withcongenital heart disease. The paediatric cardiac review is due to complete in 2010, sonext year’s report will no doubt be an interesting one!John ThomsonHonorary SecretaryBritish Cardiovascular Intervention Society (BCIS)President: Dr Mark de BelderHonorary Secretary: Dr Bernard PrendergastThe national and international standing of BCIS in the fields of education,research and maintenance of the highest clinical standards ofinterventional practice continue to prosper.A multidisciplinary membership of over 1000 and an ever broadening agenda of responsibilitiespresent exciting challenges to the Society within this continually advancing subspecialtyof cardiology. Major developments in the past year include the sustained rise in ratesof revascularisation (with continuing excellent outcomes demonstrated via the CentralCardiac Audit Database), the further expansion of percutaneous coronary intervention(PCI) into non-surgical centres, the nationwide rollout of primary angioplasty for theimmediate treatment of acute myocardial infarction (24 hours a day, 365 days per year)and further development of percutaneous techniques for the treatment of valvular andother structural heart disease.Live Case at BCIS 2010this breadth and volume of activity, the Societyhas adopted a new infrastructure and constitution,allowing the development of individual WorkingGroups dedicated to specific task areas(Administration, Research, Clinical Standards,Professional Standards, Programmes, Training &Education, Data Monitoring & Analysis). These groupswill allow distribution of the substantial workloadcurrently undertaken by the Council and greaterinvolvement of the general membership in the runningof the Society. Legal restructuring will also addressthe wider scope of activities adopted since draftingof the original Constitution over 10 years ago andprovide a more robust framework for the site visitprogramme and matters relating to individual andinstitutional clinical governance.President:Dr Mark de Belder53These developments have been achieved in parallel withstronger interaction with the BCS, the Department of Health, NICE and internationalbodies. In response to national calls, BCIS has invigorated its process of peer review inpartnership with The Department of Health to ensure sustained improvement in the qualityof patient care. The huge physical and geographical expansion of PCI activity over thepast decade requires careful regulation, particularly with reference to the periproceduralcare of patients. New site visits continue apace and a programme of revisits for fledgingsites has been adopted to ensure sustained compliance with agreed standards.Systematic monitoring by annual BCIS PCI audit and scrutiny of clinical outcomes via linkswith the Central Cardiac Audit Database are in a state of rapid evolution. Risk adjustedinstitutional outcomes are now available and in depth statistical analysis of collected UKexperience is now planned with a view to publication in mainstream international journals.Expansion of this audit activity into the field of non-coronary intervention and linkage withnewly established European databases is also anticipated.British Cardiovascular Society. Annual Report 2010

4BCIS January 2010 BJCA annual conference in Coventry, November 200955BCIS is instrumental in the maintenance of training programmes for PCI in the UK and placesincreasing emphasis on education within the annual meeting structure. Further elaborationof basic scientific and clinically orientated research in the field of intervention is anticipatedin future years in collaboration with the newly established UK Clinical Research Network.In addition to its mainstream contribution to the BCS Annual Conference and Exhibition,BCIS hosts two popular national meetings each year. The 2009 Autumn Meeting held inBournemouth attracted over 300 delegates with a varied programme. The annual Januarymeeting, “Advanced Cardiovascular Intervention”, attracted almost 1000 delegates withan opening day of live case transmissions hosted by Dr Andreas Baumbach at The BristolHeart Institute, followed by two days of didactic presentations (including keynote lecturesby Dr John Webb, Vancouver, Canada, Dr Dariusz Dudek, Krakow, Poland and AlexandreAbizaid, Sao Paulo, Brazil), debate and the ever popular interactive angioplasty reviewsessions. The increasing standing of BCIS on the world stage was also recognised in itscontinuing contribution to international collaborative research, its established educationalpresence at key global events (notably EuroPCR and TCT, the premier European andUS interventional meetings) and ongoing collaboration with the US-based Society forCardiovascular Angiography and Interventions. 2010 and 2011 will be further busy years!In order to engage with the various training bodies andsubspecialist societies, we represent trainees at thecommittees of the BCS, SAC, BCIS, BSE, BSCMR,Heart Rhythm (UK) and the BMA.The 2009 BJCA annual conference held at Coventry attractedmore than 100 trainees with excellent feedback. Thetrainees’ session at the Advanced CardiovascularIntervention 2010 on additional skills for the aspiringinterventionist was very well received.In an attempt to encourage trainee participation at nationalconferences, the BJCA is collaborating with otherBCS affiliated groups in organising joint meetings.The Basic Cardiovascular Intervention meeting aimedat early interventional trainees is being organised bythe BJCA and BCIS and will be held at Manchesterin May this year.President:Dr Tushar RainaBritish Junior Cardiologists’ Association (BJCA)President: Dr Tushar RainaThe BJCA has continued to promote the interests and voice the concerns ofcardiology trainees in the UK. Our membership has grown and now stands at750 trainees which includes all SpRs and ST3+ trainees, LATs and cardiologyresearch fellows. Each region has 2 elected representatives who ensurethat information obtained through trainee surveys, local discussions andpersonal communications contribute towards the opinions expressed bythe BJCA at various fora.This year the annual trainees’ survey was carried out with a special section on careerintentions. We intend to present the findings of this survey at the forthcoming BCSannual conference.The BJCA pages on the BCS website have become a valuable resource for trainees. Informationrelated to training and education including courses and events, fellowship schemes,training issues and clinical guidelines is regularly updated.For more information on the BJCA contact: bjca@bcs.comBritish Cardiovascular Society. Annual Report 2010

6thereBritish Nuclear Cardiology Society (BNCS)President: Dr Catherine Dickinson2009 has been a busy year for Nuclear Cardiology. Continuing demands ondepartments striving for shorter waiting times has resulted in innovativemethods of service delivery. Nuclear Cardiology remains the workhorsefor ischaemia and viability testing throughout the UK. Expansion in servicesallied with increasing interest from Cardiology, Nuclear medicine andRadiology trainees bodes well for the future of Nuclear CardiologyOne of the greatest challenges for the society in 2009 was reviewing the mammoth draft NICEchest pain guidelines. The weighty tome looks to completely revolutionise the method ofassessing chest pain patients with increasing reliance on functional ischaemia testing.If ratified, then this will prove to be a significant test for Nuclear Cardiology servicesthroughout the UK. Coupled with shortages in the provision of molybdenum generators,this will prove to be the biggest challenge for 2010. Optimism that supply chains wouldbe secured in late 2009 has been knocked by delays in modernising reactors. On abrighter note, new gamma cameras using solid state technology became available in2009; this is a huge evolutionary step in SPECT imaging which will revolutionise the wayNuclear Cardiology is practised in the future.The International Congress in Nuclear Cardiology (ICNC) meeting in Barcelona was well attendedwith good UK representation. For the first time the meeting included Cardiac CT and itscomplementary role with Nuclear Cardiology. The results of the ADMIRE-HF study werediscussed in detail and stimulated much interest in risk stratification with MIBG imaging. Atthe Annual Scientific Conference of the BCS there were two BNCS sponsored sessions.In the multi-modality imaging session, Dr Parti Arumugam of the Manchester RoyalInfirmary presented a case whereby Nuclear Cardiology techniques proved instrumental indetermining hibernating myocardium and predicted functional recovery post CABG. Thesecond session considered the results of the ERASE trial and the feasibility of setting upan acute chest pain imaging services using Nuclear Cardiology techniques. This is clearlya challenge for acute hospitals to administer, however the clinical and financial rewardsmay be great.At our annual meeting we spent a productive session looking at risk stratification in peri-operativeand heart failure patients. Professor Hugh Montgomery from the Whittington Hospital gavean entertaining lecture on the benefits of Cardio-Pulmonary Exercise Testing (CPET) inthese patients. The draft NICE guidelines were discussed in detail again - we will see if57is any softening in the reliance on advanced imaging techniques. A detailed physicssession looked at new techniques to provide absolute flow quantitation with SPECT andalso how to reduce radiation doses with resolution recovery software.The new decade provides new challenges; the well documented problems with the UK economyand the expected budget cuts within the NHS will promote efficiency drives. NuclearCardiology is well placed to provide a cost effective, evidence based, high throughputand efficient service.British Society of Cardiovascular Imaging (BSCI)President: Dr Roger W BuryThe BSCI continues to grow and our affiliation to the BCS has strengthened.The society aims to represent the views of radiologists and cardiologistsat both membership and committee level.I would like to thank our Past President, Charles Peebles, for his hard work in placing the BSCIon such a firm foundation. Charles strongly encouraged the affiliation with the BCS andI would like to continue to encourage cardiologists to become involved with the BSCI atall levels. Medicine is rapidly changing from the clear divisions of individual specialities toa merging of specialities into clinical teams that are able to provide the most holistic carefor our patients. As a multi-modality cardiovascular imaging society we are ideally placedto be actively involved in giving advice on cardiovascular imaging to the DoH, RoyalColleges, cardiac networks and individual hospitals.The success of employing a professional administrator (BioMedEx) continues with theadministration of the Society being further streamlined allowing the committee tofocus on more pressing issues that we face. BioMedex has also allowed our website@ www.bsci.org.uk to be developed and provide useful information on cardiovascularimaging for both members and non-members. Contributions - such interesting casesare encouraged.Dr Charles Peebles and Dr Stephen Harden hosted our 2009 Annual General Meeting, inSouthampton. This meeting, held in the very impressive teaching facilities at SouthamptonUniversity Hospital, included live demonstrations of CMR viability imaging, real timeteaching on cardiac CT and a very entertaining lecture on Nuclear functional imaging.Our Autumn meeting was held in conjunction with the RCR at the Geographical Society in Londonand was entitled “Hot Topics and Controversies in Cardiac Imaging”. This well attendedconference covered wide ranging topics within Cardiac CT & MR.British Cardiovascular Society. Annual Report 2010

8Over the last year the BSCI has made significant progress on a number of important ongoingimaging issues:> The Society has completed a Cardiac CT accreditation document under theleadership of Dr Carl Roobottom. This is a voluntary process to help individualsto ensure they are providing a high quality cardiac CT service in theirindividual departments> The problem of appropriate tariffs for Cardiac MR and CT has been highlighted at anumber of levels including the DoH. Erika Denton has endorsed a guide documenton Cardiac MR tariffs drawn up by the BSCMR & BSCI (see individual websites).Cardiac CT tariffs are a more difficult issue> Provided a representative to sit on the SNOMED Coding Committee.> Published a guideline document on “benchmarking” for Cardiac cross sectionalimaging, that is an evolving document and should be helpful for our members whenjob planning and negotiating with managers> BSCI is represented on the Cardiac Imaging Group initiated by Erika Denton, that hasthe remit of an overview of cardiac imaging in the UKThe Society has been involved as stakeholders in the recently released NICE guidelines on “Chestpain/discomfort of recent onset” and “Acute Coronary Syndrome”.A highlight of the last year has been the invitation by Dr Mark de Belder, President of BCIS, forBSCI to submit an imaging session to the BCIS Annual Conference. The BSCI was madeextremely welcome and we look forward to further collaboration.The main issue still facing cardiac imaging, particularly CT and CMR is the lack of training opportunities.This applies to cardiology and radiology trainees in both the core and sub-specialty curriculaas well as established consultants wishing to develop new areas of practice. We arecontinuing to work hard with the RCR and the BCS to address this problem.With the training issue in mind the BSCI 2010 Annual Conference will be a joint, two day,conference with the Cardiology section of the RSM. The first day will be a training day forcardiac CT. Cardiologists and radiology trainees are to be encouraged to attend.We look forward to a busy year ahead as we further address the issues raised above.British Society of Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance(BSCMR)Chair: Prof Stefan NeubauerThe BSCMR continues to grow and now has over 120 members.BSCMRThe aims of the Society are to:> promote clinical practice and research into cardiovascular magnetic resonance(CMR) and to disseminate the useful results of such research> further the advancement of education in CMR for the public benefit59We hold an annual Society meeting, and also contribute scientific and educational sessions to theBritish Cardiovascular Society (BCS) Annual Conference & Exhibition (ACE).The 4th BSCMR Annual Meeting, held in Oxford in March 2009, was another great success. Theparticipant numbers at this meeting increased significantly compared with the previousmeeting in 2008, to 120, as did the number of companies exhibiting, to 8. The CMRInvestigators’ Prize and posters evoked great interest, with over 45 abstracts submitted, andthe Society will continue with this initiative as an integral part of the programme in the future.The award winners were as follows: 1st Dr Daniel Stuckley (Oxford); 2nd Dr Alistair Lindsay(Oxford); 3rd Dr Paul Foley (Birmingham); 4th Dr Chiara Bucciarelli-Ducci (London).The 5th BSCMR Annual Meeting will take place in London on 24 March 2010, and will include thepopular ‘Read cases with the experts’ sessions.At the BCS ACE in June 2009, the BSCMR was involved with three sessions:> Imaging in coronary artery disease> Assessing LV function> Read with the expertThe BSCMR was, and continues to be, actively involved with several projects focusing oneducation, training and clinical practice, including:> Drafting a policy/recommendations document on delivering a quality service> Membership of the new BCS Imaging Council> Involvement with NICE guidelines> Involvement in the development of a National CMR tariff, providing advice to the DoHAs always, we look forward to continuing our work for the UK CMR community next year. Pleasevisit our website www.bscmr.org for more about the Society and its projects.British Cardiovascular Society. Annual Report 2010

0This Annual Report covers the activities of the British Society forBritish Society for Cardiovascular Research (BSCR)Chair: Dr Chris NewmanCardiovascular Research (BSCR) for the period 1 April 2009 to 31 March 2010.BSCR Main MeetingsThere were two main meetings which fell within the period of this report. The Spring 2009 meetingwas a joint meeting with the British Atherosclerosis Society in Oxford. Organised byChristopher Jackson, Christopher Newman and Martin Bennett, it focused on “UnstableAtherosclerotic Plaque.” A report of this meeting was published in the BSCR QuarterlyBulletin (Vol. 22, No. 2). The Autumn Meeting, on September 7th-8th and also at theUniversity of Oxford, took as its theme “Myocardial Energetics and Redox in Health andDisease.” An exciting innovation at the meeting was to webcast many of the talks. All areavailable for download from the Society’s website.Workshops and SymposiaNo workshops were held during the period covered by this report. The Society contributed to asymposium at the BCS Annual Conference in London.Committee, Officers and ElectionsThe Committee met on two occasions, on April 2nd at the University of Oxford, and on September7th at the University of Bristol. There were no changes in committee composition duringthis period, with the exception of the co-option of Dr Melanie Madhani as a third Bulletineditor. The composition of the Committee is shown in the box on this page.Annual General MeetingThe AGM took place on September 8th at the University of Oxford. During the AGM the membersagreed a new simplified form of the Society’s Constitution.SponsorshipThe journal, Clinical Science, continued to sponsor a Young Investigator Award of £250, given ateach meeting for a best poster presentation. The Society is also grateful for educationalgrants from Takeda Pharmaceuticals, Pfizer, and the British Heart Foundation. The Societyhas also been in receipt of an extremely generous bequest from the estate of the lateBernard and Joan Marshall. The bequest will be used to fund new prizes and also the costsassociated with having an especially distinguished lecturer at each Autumn meeting.The BulletinFour issues of the BSCR Bulletin were published.Chair and BAS Representative:Chair and BASRepresentative:Dr Christopher Newman(01/09 - )University of SheffieldSecretary:Dr Christopher Jackson(01/08 - )University of BristolTreasurer:Dr Michael Curtis(01/08 - )King’s College, LondonCommittee Members:Dr Yvonne Alexander(01/08 - )University of ManchesterDr Katrina Bicknell(01/08 - )University of ReadingProfessor Barbara Casadei(01/09 - )University of OxfordDr Alison Cave(01/08 - )MHRA, LondonDr Andrew Grace(01/09 - )University of CambridgeDr David Grieve(01/08 - )Queen’s University, Belfast61Dr Derek Hausenloy(01/09 - )University College,LondonDr Richard Heads(01/09 - )King’s College, LondonDr Cathy Holt(01/09 - )University of ManchesterBulletin Editors:Dr Nicola Smart(09/99 - )University College, LondonDr Helen Maddock(09/01 - )Coventry UniversityDr Melanie Madhani(09/09 - )University of BirminghamBritish Cardiovascular Society. Annual Report 2010

2British Society of Echocardiography (BSE)President: Dr Navros MasaniFor the British Society of Echocardiography, 2009was a year of progression and consolidation ofexisting projects, as well as the development ofnew initiatives and partnerships. Core activity ofthe BSE remains centred around (i) Examinations,Accreditation and Re-accreditation in Transthoracicand Transoesophageal Echocardiography (ii)Educational activity such as guidelines andrecommendations (iii) the annual BSE Conference and(iv) representation of the interests of our members indiscussions with professional and political bodies.President:Dr Navros MasaniIn 2009, 209 individuals (cardiac physiologists,echocardiographers and cardiologists) achieved accreditation in transthoracicechocardiography bringing the total number of TTE Accredited members to 1072. 22gained accreditation in transoesophageal echocardiography (cardiologists, anaesthetistsand cardiac physiologists - in collaboration with ACTA) and there are now 92 membersholding TOE Accreditation. A further 3 were accredited in community echocardiography(GP’s) bringing that total to 11. In 2010, a mechanism of paediatric echocardiographyre-accreditation (BSE no longer runs an accreditation process for paediatricechocardiography) has been agreed with the European Association of Echocardiographyfor our members.An important initiative for 2009, to be completed in 2010, was thedevelopment of an improved, online process for BSE DepartmentalAccreditation. This includes the publication of quality standards forechocardiography departments together with an assessment process(including site inspections). We have received vital support from the BritishHeart Foundation in terms of logistic and financial support for this process - thelatest in a growing number of extremely successful collaborations between BSEand BHF that also includes BHF/BSE publications (Reference Value posters andpocket books), BHF Echo Trainees.63The annual BSE Conference was held at the new Liverpool Conference Centre in October 2009.Our year on year growth in delegate attendance continues, with a record 719 attendees.In addition, we repeated the successful Advanced Imaging Day at the Royal Society ofMedicine, in March 2009, and will do so again in March 2010.Current BSE membership stands at 2654.BSE Officers:President: Dr Navroz MasaniPast President: Dr Simon RayVice-President: Dr Helen RimingtonSecretary: Ms Jane AllenTreasurer: Ms Tracy RyanAdministrator: Ms Dawn ApplebyChairman, Accreditation Committee: Dr Ranjit MoreChairman, Education Committee: Dr Rick SteedsChairman, Communications Committee (2010): Dr Guy LloydNew partnerships have been forged with the Intensive Care Society, to develop Accreditation inCritical Care Echocardiography, focussing on the areas of the echocardiography syllabusmost relevant to this sub-specialty. We expect to run the inaugural examination in 2010followed by further assessments by logbook, supervisor reports and video casebook ina process identical to our other accreditations. In a separate initiative, the organisers ofFEEL(UK) - Focussed Echocardiographic Evaluation in Life Support - held a study day atthe 2009 BSE Conference and we will continue to support this process.British Cardiovascular Society. Annual Report 2010

4BCSBritish Society for Heart Failure (BSH)Chair: Dr Theresa McDonaghThe past year has been a busy one for the society, with the introductionof a new event in the meetings calendar, the SpR Trainee Meeting, as wellas a full two day Annual Autumn Meeting and sessions at BCS. We now haveover 750 members and a new Board was elected and Observers from otherdisciplines recruited in June 2009.12th Annual Autumn Meeting 2009Mrs Mary Poole-Wilson and Prof Henry DargieThis meeting was, once again, the highlight for BSH in 2009. Held on 26–27 November at theQueen Elizabeth Conference Centre in Westminster, London, the meeting was entitled‘Heart failure - step-by step guide to care of a complex syndrome’. For thesecond year, this meeting was held over two full days, which continued to be popular withboth delegates and exhibitors. The meeting was attended by a large multi-disciplinaryaudience over 400 participants including some international delegates.The primary aim of the meeting was to suggest solutions for the complex syndrome of heartfailure. It first set the scene by looking at how we manage and structure heart failure careacross primary, secondary and tertiary care in the UK. Data presented showed that weare still a long way from delivering optimal care. The next section of the meeting wasdedicated to suggesting how we can move forward. Difficult areas were tackled andwe looked at updates in therapeutics and devices which have occurred recently. Comorbiditiescontribute to the complexity of heart failure and this meeting examined themand their management in some detail.The meeting also included the inaugural Philip Poole-Wilson Memorial Lecture, given by ProfessorHenry Dargie. Mrs Mary Poole-Wilson presented Professor Dargie with a medal, honoringhis tremendous contribution to the area of heart failure over many years.A report from the meeting has recently been published as a BSH newsletter (issue 25 - availableon the BSH website, www.bsh.org.uk) and articles have been submitted to severalrelevant journals.Annual Conference and Exhibition 2009The Society was involved with four successful sessions at the BCS Annual Conferenceand Exhibition 2009, in collaboration with other BCS Affiliated Groups. Programmetitles included:1. Assessing LV function (Joint session BSE/BSCMR/BSH/BSCI)2. Heart failure or heart success (Joint session BSH/BANCC/HCPUK/BACR)3. Devices – pacemakers, ICD and CRT (Joint session HR-UK/BSH)4. Advanced heart failure: an evidence-based approach or a need for evidence?(Joint session BSH/BCIS/BSCR)British Cardiovascular Society. Annual Report 201065A report from these meetings was published as a BSH Newsletter (issue 24), and circulated tomembers, and is also available on the BSH website.BSH Trainee Meeting 2009A new and important event in the BSH meeting calendar was the BSH Trainee Meeting, heldon 22 April 2009. The training day was specifically designed for SpRs to meet theeducational needs of the heart failure component of the core curriculum in cardiovascularmedicine, as well as the needs for advanced training in heart failure. It also provided acomprehensive overview of heart failure for trainees in internal medicine and care of theelderly, and GPSIs.This one day meeting was held in the National Heart and Lung Institute and was attended byaround 70 participants. The meeting was highly valued by those who attended, who feltthe quality of the programme and calibre of speakers was extremely high. There was astrong demand from participants for the meeting to be repeated in future years.Initiatives and collaboration with other groupsIn addition to our meetings, the BSH has also been involved in a number of important initiativesand collaborations during the past year, including:> The National Heart Failure Audit, launched in July 2007, remains an extremelyimportant initiative for the BSH. It was developed jointly by the BSH and The NHSInformation Centre for health and social care (The IC), by whom it is managed, andwas commissioned by the Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership (HQIP)The heart failure audit provides information on heart failure treatment across the UK,including patient profiles, length of hospital admission, interventions, medicationand outcomesThe audit is now providing reliable information to help clinicians, boards andcommissioners to continually measure and improve care by comparing services

6to specific standards and national trends. Information will also help patients makeinformed decisions about their care and treatmentDuring the year, the BSH continued to input to the strategy of the audit and helpedreview results from it, as well as continuing to encourage participation in the audit bymembers and others via mailings, membership information, the BSH website andat conferences> The society continued its engagement with the Heart Failure Association of theEuropean Society of Cardiology to provide information on relevant services inthe UK, share good practice and, more recently, to increase awareness of heartfailure amongst the general public which will lead to a pan-European Heart FailureAwareness Day in May 2010> Continued collaboration with the Cardio & Vascular Coalition (CVC), including input tomeetings and workshops and providing comments on the white paper, targeted atpoliticians and policy makers, which was launched on 25 March 2009 at the Houseof Commons> Continuing nurse education in partnership with Glasgow Caledonian University and theBritish Heart Foundation, now also franchised to the University of the West of England> The BSH provided comments on the topic ‘Heart failure - Chronic’ as part of theNHS Clinical Knowledge Summaries, http://www.cks.nhs.uk/heart_failure_chronic.The knowledge summaries are aimed at healthcare professionals working in primaryand first-contact care, and are a reliable source of evidence-based information andpractical ‘know how’ about the common conditions managed in primary care> The BSH endorsed or supported a number of meetings run by other organisationsduring the yearFor more information on the above projects and future plans, please see the BSH websitewww.bsh.org.uk or contact the BSH Secretariat on info@bsh.org.ukHeart Care Partnership (UK) (HCP UK)President: Ken Timmis MBE JP LCIESince my last report we have at long last acquired charity status andI would wish to thank the officers of the BCS for their assistance inthe process. Thanks too to Lulu Ho and her predecessors for thespadework involved.CHUKPHeart Care Partnership(UK)Further highlights were to hear that Trudie Lobban and PaulWillgoss, both our Trustees and CEO of ArrhythmiaAlliance and respected advocate of GUCHrespectively, had received well earned MBEs in theQueen’s honours list. Congratulations Trudie andPaul, you both deserve it.We were all saddened at the last AGM, when we had toaccept the resignation of Anne Jolly as Secretary.Anne had done a sterling job over the years of hertenure, keeping us in order and expanding our workin addition to running her own organisation. Annecontinues to work with us as a Trustee and for thatwe are grateful. Fortunately in Carol Reilly, BlackCountry Network Manager, we have found a veryworthy successor, which has softened the blowsomewhat.President:Kenneth Timmis67During the year two new members have joined our team, adding their expertise to ourdeliberations and service. Julie Wootton brings her paediatric and congenital expertiseon children’s heart problems as Chair of Trustees of Children’s Heart Federation and MaxAppeal. This will add a new dimension to our work.Our second acquisition comes in the form of Dr. Felicity Astin. Felicity is a Senior ResearchFellow in the School of Healthcare at the University of Leeds. She has a keen interestin raising awareness about the benefit of service user and carer involvement in teachingand research in cardiac care. She is leading funded research (in collaboration with LeedsAcute Trust) to better understand people’s experiences of cardiac interventions. Findingsare used to inform service development and develop patient/carer centred informationresources. She is currently part of NHS Improvement working group developinginformation for people recovering from primary angioplasty. We are very fortunate to haveher services and contribution.Our Past President, David Geldard MBE, continues to travel up and down the country formeeting after meeting, which leaves me breathless. He is specialising for the team inCardiothoracic Surgery, leaving me to cope with the Cardiology side of our work, a splitof activities which is proving advantageous to us both. We join forces in our efforts toimprove Cardiac Rehabilitation uptake across the nation, both of us having been draftedonto the reference group to inform the development of the cardiac rehabilitation (CR)Commissioning Pack, chaired by Professor Patrick Doherty, Chair of Rehabilitation, YorkSt John University.British Cardiovascular Society. Annual Report 2010

8I could fill this report with the multitude of activities undertaken by David, but I hope he will forgiveme if I resist the temptation as there is so much else to report.I have also joined a research group, The United Kingdom Transcatheter Aortic ValveImplementation (UK TAVI) Trial, chaired by Dr. William D Toff, Senior Lecturer in Cardiology& Director Leicester Clinical Trials Unit at the University of Leicester. The researchproject is to assess the clinical and cost effectiveness of TAVI in patients with severesymptomatic aortic stenosis who are at high operative risk or unsuitable for conventionalaortic valve replacement (AVR).I was privileged last year to be asked by the British Heart Foundation to address a gathering ofMPs and Lords in the House of Commons on behalf of heart patients at the Cardio &Vascular Coalition launch of “Destination 2020”, a plan for cardio and vascular health forthe next ten years. Also in February of this year I was joined by David Geldard, Anne Jollyand Suzie Hutchinson in Westminster, when the BHF organized a pre-election lobby ofMPs, hoping to get Heart Health included in election manifestos.Through our new Secretary, Carol Reilly, we are beginning to embrace stroke in our curriculum,which adds vascular to our remit. She attended the House of Commons for the launchof a new report from the Stroke Association, “Getting Better: Improving Stroke Servicesacross the UK”. It consists of case studies highlighting best practice, issues andchallenges to drive forward stroke care (www.stroke.org.uk). In attendance were AndrewLansley CBE MP, Shadow Health Secretary and Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Groupon Stroke, Ann Keen MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Health, MPs andstroke representatives, so the “Stroke Voice” is being heard at the highest level.I never hear the name, Paul Willgoss, without thinking of GUCH for which he gives so much ofhis time. The service provided to adults with congenital heart disease is in the processof being reviewed and developed, based on the NHS commissioning guide. The GrownUp Congenital Heart Patient Association has been working regionally and nationally toensure that these processes genuinely reflect the needs of a growing patient base andthat they provide a seamless service to which children covered by paediatric servicescan subscribe. Together with Suzie Hutchinson and Julie Wootton he has been workingas part of the user voice within Congenital Cardiac service provision on the safe andsustainable review of England’s paediatric congenital heart surgical care provisionwhich will lead to the finalisation of antenatal and surgical congenital heart disease carestandards and a re-organisation of the national service provision. The work has includedinput on surgical pathway standards, antenatal care and diagnosis standards and subspecialisation of congenital surgery proposals.Dr Jane Flint continues to champion Women’s Heart Health issues, incorporating the outcomeof the Euroheart Work Package 6: ‘Red Alert - Women and Cardiovascular Research in69Europe’ in our final full BCS Report and Recommendations; and also Cardiac RehabilitationDevelopment this year for presentation at the National Cardiac Conference 2010.David Geldard has at our request added sexual activity concerns of heart patients to his remit. LizClark has been a patient representative on the NICE Chest Pain Guideline which is duefor publication in March. She is now on the Angina Guideline. Trudie Lobban continuesto be a tireless worker for Arrhythmia Alliance and Peter Diamond continues to work withTHRIVE, Suzie Hutchinson, our Treasurer, with Little Hearts Matter and Anne Jolly with SADSUK. All in all we have a very active team for which I, as their President, am truly grateful.Heart Rhythm (UK) (HR-UK)President: Dr Edward RowlandWe continue to develop our aims of delivering quality and equality inarrhythmia care.HRUK is committed to developing professional standards for those who manage and treatpatients with cardiac arrhythmias. We recognise that this involves many disciplines inmedicine and we must foster closer integration with other professional as well as patientorganisations. Education continues as a core activity – this includes training of the nextgeneration of clinical arrhythmia specialists, educating those who come into contact withpatients who have heart rhythm abnormalities, and ensuring that these patients haveaccess to the highest quality of care.During the BCS Annual Conference and Exhibition, HRUK ran sessions throughout a wholeday on current and important issues of rhythm management. This is an expandedactivity and presence we are keen to continue. We co-hosted the 2009 Heart RhythmCongress with the Arrhythmia Alliance in October. As a window on our activities this isbecoming a major arrhythmia meeting attracting national and international attendees,and is one of the few meetings with a continued increase in the number of participants.Following the success of the initial meeting last year, 2010 will see our second HRUKsponsored workshop for consultants and registrars where a day is spent concentratingon the details of specific arrhythmias.We have continued the process of developing regional training programmes and the chorusof praise from the trainees for these educational days has been enormously gratifying.We continue to explore ways of devolving these nationally. The training of physiologistsinvolved in heart rhythm management is also a crucial activity, reflecting their increasedclinical responsibilities. The HRUK certificate of accreditation exam is an essential part ofthis training process. Setting the exam requires an enormous amount of work but cannotBritish Cardiovascular Society. Annual Report 2010

0be avoided. I am enormously grateful to the council members and other HRUK memberswho have committed their time in the last year to bringing the exam up to modernexacting standards. The success of this initiative is evident from the increasing numbersof candidates and interest in the exam from other countries.We must increasingly demonstrate that what we do is effective, measurable and of the highestquality. Data collection through the Cardiac Rhythm Management part of CCAD remainsa core activity to which HRUK remains totally committed. 2009 saw the National DevicesSurvey report for 2008 published, and during the Heart Rhythm Congress the first reportson quality outcome from the catheter ablation database. It is important here to record ourthanks to the other organisations (Department of Health, NHS Improvement, InformationCentre, National Devices Survey Group) that have contributed to collating the data andhelping HRUK to disseminate the results. The headline figures epitomise the position -while more patients continue to be treated inequality of access to care remains. There isstill much to do.Primary Care Cardiovascular Society (PCCS)Chair: Jan Procter-King2009 has proved to be the most successful year yet for the Primary CareCardiovascular Society. A key focus of our activities has been to encourageand support the implementation of the NHS Health Checks programme.The PCCS produced a Vascular Risk Toolkit as acomprehensive source of information for thosePCTs embarking on the introduction of HealthChecks in their local area. We followed this witha series of workshops to encourage key playersin the PCT responsible for the Health Checksprogramme to meet and work together to defineroles and responsibilities and develop a plan ofaction. The PCCS was once again involved in aseries of five vascular workshops with MedicalManagement Services to share initiatives and bestpractice to facilitate and support the Health Checksroll out programme, and a report was launched atthe 2009 PCCS ASM. The PCCS has also beendeveloping and implementing training coursesChair:Ms Jan Procter-KingPCCS Annual Meeting 200971on cardiovascular risk with the Bradford Training Centre. Working in partnership withFlora ProActiv and HEART UK, the PCCS provided input into a web-based interactivebehaviour change programme called ‘activheart’, to help those people found to be atmoderate risk following their Health Check to modify their lifestyles. Following on from thiswork the PCCS won a contract with Unilever to offer Health Checks to their entire workforce.Apart from the Health Checks programme, the PCCS has worked on another major projectin partnership with HEART UK and Pfizer. ‘Follow your Heart’ provides succinctguidance for optimal management of the post-MI patient. It is based on existing officialrecommendations and was published in the British Journal of Cardiology in July 2009.An important part of this programme is that is contains elements for both the healthcareprofessional and the patient, to encourage the two parties to work in partnership toimprove the care that the post-MI patient receives. Work on this programme and its rollout is continuing.The PCCS has continued its busy events programme with a second joint meeting in May in Cardiffwith the South East Wales Cardiac Network. Also in May the PCCS held its first localCardiovascular Masterclass in Southampton which was also a great success, a similarmeeting took place in Portsmouth later in the year, and further meetings are plannedthroughout the country. The PCCS also joined forces with the Yorkshire CardioDiabetesNetwork to jointly host their annual meeting in December in Leeds.The PCCS held a dedicated day at the British Cardiovascular Society ACE in June 2009 entitledfrom ‘Vascular Disease - From Cradle to Grave’ which was well supported. The Societyhad a major role in the National Prevention Meeting at Imperial College in July to launchthe start of JBS3. (Joint British Guidelines for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Diseasein Clinical Practice 3). It also had a dedicated day at the Heart Rhythm Congress inOctober which was also a great success. Council Members Ahmet Fuat and KathrynGriffith presented at the RCGP meeting in November. Further joint working with relevantorganisations is planned.The Cardiovascular Nurse Leaders (CVNL) Forum and the GPs with a Special Interest inCardiology (GPSI) Forum continue to grow and thrive, both groups held their ownmeetings during the year. In addition a third special interest group, the CardiovascularBritish Cardiovascular Society. Annual Report 2010

2SomePharmacists Group (CVPG), has been established and is gradually taking shape. Our jointworking with the University of Birmingham’s National College for Anticoagulation Training(NCAT) continues, a highly successful joint meeting in Birmingham was held in April andfor the first time an Anticoagulation Management Update took take place on the first dayof the PCCS 2009 ASM.The 2009 PCCS Annual Scientific Meeting and AGM in Nottingham, ‘Making Change Happen’which took place in October, attracted a record attendance of well over 300 delegatesand provided to be the most successful conference in the Society’s 12 year history.Other highlights of 2009 include a generous grant from the Merck Sharp & Dohme/ScheringPlough partnership to rebuild the PCCS website which will be launched early in 2010.Chair-Elect Kathryn Griffith organized the first PCCS sponsored bike ride from Whitehaven toSunderland. Fourteen hardy souls cycled 144 miles from coast to coast to raise moneyfor a PCCS research fund to provide grants to facilitate PCCS members to present theirwork at regional and national meetings.For more information on the work of the PCCS visit our website www.pccs.org.uk or contactDr Fran Sivers on office@pccs.org.ukSociety for Cardiological Science and Technology (SCST)Chairman: Dr Brian CampbellPresident: Dr Chris EggettEducation and TrainingMy thanks to the education committee, which continues to run the part 1 and part 2undergraduate examinations, and the certificate in electrocardiogram (ECG). I would alsolike to thank to the exam board and examiners who undertake the work required on avoluntary basis. The education committee is currently working hard to produce guidancefor ambulatory ECG and BP for release in 2010.Modernising of Scientific Careers (MSC)I cannot mention education without including the Modernising Scientific Careers (MSC)programme. Following the MSC consultation, there were a number of “listening events”run by the Department of Health during 2009 and in the current climate within the NHS,it has proven extremely difficult to ensure adequate representation at all these meetings.However, as this is clearly a landmark in education for the profession, SCST Council andEducation Committee have invested the proportionate time required for MSC.Brian Campbell presenting Keith Johnston (SCST Treasurer),with Honorary lifetime membership of SCST73of the concerns regarding rotation within the Practitioner Training Programme (PTP) havebeen addressed. The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) providedadditional student numbers (ASN) funding in October in 2009, which would coverthe academic portion of the PTP, due to start in September 2010. However, there stillneeds to be further discussions regarding the funding requirements for the placementcomponent of the PTP. SCST feel it is important that we ensure the outcomes from thisprogramme are fit for purpose within service.Further discussions are also required for the Scientific Training Programme (STP), which is a keycomponent of MSC as it is the first opportunity for a formalised postgraduate trainingstructure for cardiac physiologists. SCST is actively involved with the British Societyof Echocardiography (BSE) and Heart Rhythm-UK (HRUK) in this process. SCSTwill remain engaged in the process for 2010 to ensure the profession is adequatelyrepresented at all levels.RegistrationThroughout 2009, the Registration Council for Clinical Physiologists (RCCP) aggressivelypromoted the necessity of the much-delayed state registration process. RCCP met withseveral groups including: parliamentarians, the chief executives of the Royal Collegeof Physicians, Health Professions Council, and Council for Healthcare RegulatoryExcellence, and the Head of Special Projects at the Patients Association to explain theimportance of regulation for clinical physiology. However, with the election looming, it isdifficult to predict any outcome for the near future.Cardiac Physiology Trainers funded by British Heart FoundationAll of the ten cardiac physiologist trainer posts funded by the British Heart Foundation (BHF) werefilled in 2009. Close links between the SCST Education Committee and the BHF cardiacphysiologist trainers have been developed through the education committee.Cardiac Catheter Laboratory CourseBHF are also funding up to 25 places on the “Adult Cardiac Catheter Laboratory Practice”graduate certificate, which is aimed at cardiac physiologists, nurses and radiographerswho wish to extend their skills across the three disciplines. The course is expected tostart in early 2010.British Cardiovascular Society. Annual Report 2010

4Scientific MeetingsThe cardiac physiologist’s session was integrated into the BCS Conference in 2009 and wasvery well attended. The annual general meeting (AGM) did not fare so well with limitednumbers in attendance. In response to this SCST will be embedding the AGM within theSCST scientific meeting aimed specifically at cardiac physiologists in May 2010. I hope tobe able to report a significant improvement in attendance next year.75In 2010 SCST will be holding a joint session at the BCS conference with the British Associationfor Nursing in Cardiovascular Care (BANCC). SCST are looking forward to a successfulsession with our nursing colleagues.Joint membershipThe option of joint membership of BCS and SCST was introduced in 2009 providing a strongerlinks between the two bodies and moves towards increased co-operation with otheraffiliate groups.SCST JournalThe reduced income from SCST Update put the publication under threat in 2008. However, itwas felt that Update, which is currently free to the membership of the profession, wasa key benefit of membership of the society. Hence, a review of Update took place in2009. Efforts to ensure financial viability have led to an increased revenue stream fromadvertising. The structure of the publication has moved away from a device largely forraising awareness of current issues and society business to a more researched basedjournal and was launched as the Journal for the Society for Cardiological Science andTechnology (JSCST) in January 2010. In addition to society business and professionalissues, the new approach will allow cardiac physiologists to cite publication of relevantresearch and audit material.SCST WebsiteThe website, also seen as a key benefit of membership of the society, was reviewed in 2009and updated. Further plans for the website are under review to make the site easier tonavigate and provide all the relevant information that the cardiac physiology professionalrequires in 2010.British Cardiovascular Society. Annual Report 2010