A-Z of Services

Cardiology

  • Address: There are various locations, with the main Croydon Heart Centre located at the Croydon Heart Centre, Ground Floor, Blue Zone / London Wing, Croydon University Hospital, 530 London Road, Croydon, CR7 7YE,

About us

The Croydon cardiology department are an expert team of consultants, doctors and nurses that work to diagnose, treat and manage those with heart conditions.

The team offer rapid access clinics to diagnose patients presenting with the most common conditions and symptoms:

  • Chest pain

  • Arrhythmia; the disturbance of a normal heart rhythm

  • Heart failure; the heart failing to pump enough blood around the body at the right pressure

Patients can expect receive on-going care and support from clinicians to help manage their heart condition.

A third of cardiology patients arrive through the Trust’s accident and emergency department. Emergency care is given to patients following a heart attack or other heart-related conditions. Following admission inpatients receive comprehensive and specialist care on our hospital wards.

Rehabilitation is a crucial part of living with a heart condition and specialist nurses at the Trust work with patients to get them back on their feet. The cardiac rehabilitation team provide a long-term programme and on-going support to cardiac patients after they have been discharged.

Cardiology clinics are offered at Croydon University Hospital, Purley War Memorial Hospital and Shirley Medical Practice to give patients more choice and deliver high quality care closer to home.

Treatment

The cardiology department offer invasive and non-invasive diagnostic procedures.  Other treatments and procedures include:

  • Angiolplasty
  • Pacemaker fittings
  • Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)
  • Rehabilitation

Appointments

What do I do if I haven’t received my appointment yet or if I need a test or investigation?

Please contact us on 020 8401 3800 or, if it is a follow-up appointment, on 020 8401 3974.

What do I do if I want to change or cancel an appointment?

To cancel and rearrange any appointment for tests please telephone the above number.

What should I bring to my appointment?

Please bring a list of your medications, and copies of any blood test results or letters from your GP

What time should I arrive for my appointment?

Please arrive 10 minutes before your appointment time.

The cardiac support group

The group is run by ex-heart patients and aims to support patients and their carers. The cardiac group visit patients in the Peter Stubbs Cardiac Zone once a week and hold meetings in the Post Graduate Medical Centre (PGMC) at Croydon University Hospital on a regular basis. If you are interested in finding out more about the group, please call 020 8466 1196. 

How to refer

All GP referrals should be made via eRS. Please see this link for a full description and referral information.

Refer via e-Referrals. More information about e-Referrals is available here.

Bookings and diagnostics

For direct bookings, please contact 02084013974 and select option 1 when prompted. 

For diagnostic tests, contact 02084013974 and select option 1 then option 2.

Service overview

17 Cardiac Physiologists support both the non-invasive and invasive cardiology service using new and up to date diagnostic medical equipment which is integrated with the Trust IPR Cerner Millennium.

The service is run over two sites, Croydon University Hospital (CUH) and Purley Hospital and performs procedures on adults, paediatrics and neonates with previously diagnosed or suspected heart disease.

The non-invasive service at CUH includes:

  • Electrocardiograms
  • Ambulatory ECG and analysis
  • Ambulatory Blood Pressure monitoring
  • Event Monitoring
  • Exercise Tolerance Testing
  • Basic and Complex Transthoracic Echocardiogram
  • Transoesophageal Echocardiography
  • Pacemaker and Complex Device follow-up clinics
  • Remote monitoring service for Complex Devices
  • Cardioversions for Atrial Fibrillation/ Flutter

The invasive service at CUH includes:

  • Diagnostic Coronary Angiography
  • Percutaneous Coronary Intervention
  • Implantation of Bradycardia Pacemakers
  • Implantation of complex pacemakers (e.g. ICD and CRT-D/P)
  • Implantation of implantable Loop Recorders

The non-invasive service at Purley Hospital includes:

  • Electrocardiograms
  • Ambulatory ECG and analysis
  • Transthoracic Echocardiogram

We treat:  

We help diagnose and treat a variety of cardiac pathologies including coronary artery disease, heart failure and cardiac arrhythmias. We provide services for many different users including:

  • Cardiology CCU/ Duppas wards, Cardiology general and specialist clinics
  • Other Services in CUHg. cancer, stroke/TIA, surgical, pre-op, geriatric (falls), paediatric/ SCBU, ITU
  • GP’s - Direct access service for ECG, ambulatory ECG and BP and Echo
  • Other hospitals for patients living in the Croydon area from e.g. Royal Marsden
  • Community based practitioners e.g. Palliative care, CAMHS

Referral criteria

ECG

There are no formal criteria for Direct Access ECG.

The GP needs to give an indication for the ECG on the request form and if it is not appropriate someone from the Cardiology Department will contact the surgery to discuss.

A list of current medications, BP, diabetes status and any other relevant information is also required.

Ambulatory ECG monitoring (24hr)

Referral criteria are as follows:

  • Palpitations
  • Paroxysmal Tachycardia
  • Dizzy spells (near Syncope)
  • Loss of consciousness

Note: The duration and frequency of the symptoms must be stated on the form. This data is essential in order to decide which type of recorder is given to the patient.

Please also state whether the patient is on any cardioactive medication which could affect the cardiac rhythm, conduction or the ECG complex itself e.g. cold/flu remedies, bronchodilator, bête blocker, calcium channel blockers or digoxin.

Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring (24hr)

Referral criteria are as follows:

Sustained Hypertension – To confirm or exclude the need for anti-hypertensive treatment in patients with possible white coat or borderline hypertension is present.

Note: Patients must be off ALL antihypertensive medication for at least four weeks prior to the test.

To assess treatment – To assess response to anti-hypertensive therapy when clinic pressures suggest inadequate blood pressure control.

NOTE:          

a) It is essential to state the medication and dosages the patient is taking at the time of the recording 

b) If the patient takes no medication please state this on the request form 

c) It is important that we know if the patient is diabetic

The request form also asks for a BP recorded at the surgery.

Echocardiography

The following indications may be considered for Direct Access:

  • Asymptomatic murmurs.
  • Follow up of known mild valve abnormalities.
  • Atrial fibrillation to evaluate thrombo-embolic risk and evaluate left ventricular function.
  • Hypertension to evaluate possible hypertrophy.

To exclude Cardiomyopathy

Patients in the following situations are unlikely to be suitable for DA echo referral:

  • Clinical suspicion of heart failure (see Heart Failure Pathway)
  • Clinical suspicion of endocarditis (Outpatient Cardiology Referral).
  • Signs or symptoms of significant valve disease (Outpatient Cardiology Referral).

Patients with suspected heart failure should be investigated with BNP using the existing Heart Failure Pathway and One Stop Heart Failure Clinic at CUH.

Patients with severe abnormalities on echo will be booked directly into a cardiology clinic or be seen by the appropriate acute cardiology service at CUH.

NOTE: This is an adult only service and no referrals on patients under 16 will be accepted.

Consultants

Senior Cardiac Physiologists:

Amanda Rose – Lead Cardiac Physiologist

Julia McNicholas – Highly Specialist Cardiac Physiologist (Deputy)

Karen Sparrow – Highly Specialist Cardiac Physiologist (Deputy)

Paul Arumugam – Highly Specialist Cardiac Physiologist

Integrated Cardiac Rehabilitation Team

Croydon Cardiac Rehabilitation

The Croydon Cardiac Rehabilitation team ensure our patients have the highest quality of care. The aim of the service is to help you to understand and manage your heart condition, so you can improve the health of your heart as well as your quality of life and general well-being.


The multi-professional team includes specialist nurses, physiotherapists, practitioners and exercise assistants, with access to psychologists and other specialist services.

If you have been admitted to Croydon University Hospital following a heart attack (Myocardial infarction/MI) or have required angioplasty and stenting (percutaneous coronary intervention/PCI) for heart disease you will be seen by a Cardiac Rehabilitation Nurse prior to discharge.


If you have had your treatment, including cardiac surgery, at another hospital you will be referred to us after discharge.

Information after discharge from Croydon University Hospital

If you are discharged from Croydon University Hospital you should find our contact details in the front of the information booklets we have provided. If you are unsure who to contact please call the office at Croydon University Hospital on 020 8401 3957. The office is open between 8.30am and 4.30pm Monday to Friday.  

If you have been discharged following a day case angioplasty and need some advice the night after your procedure, you should call the Coronary Care Unit on 020 8401 3264.

If you have any concerns about your groin or wrist wound following angiogram or angioplasty then call the Cardiac Catheter Suite on 020 8401 3000 ext 4549.

Rehabilitation video

These exercises have been created for patients enrolled in the cardiac rehabilitation programme at Croydon Health Services.

Please click here in order to access the Croydon Cardiac Rehabilitation videos .

These videos include:

  • Warm up (to be completed in full)
  • Circuit of exercises (view to observe the technique of each exercise and follow your prescription of exercises as emailed and/or sent to you)
  • Cool down (to be completed in full)

As advised by your cardiac rehabilitation specialist:

  • Do not exercise if feeling unwell
  • Ensure you have water
  • Wear comfortable clothing and shoes
  • Have GTN spray accessible (if applicable)
  • Ensure that you have taken all of your regular medications as prescribed.

Treatment

The Croydon Cardiac Rehabilitation team offer a full rehabilitation service for local patients, including clinic appointments, psychological support, help with changing their lifestyle and a cardiac health programme of exercise, education and relaxation. 

Soon after you have returned home we will contact you to ensure you are making a good recovery. You will be offered an appointment to be seen by a Cardiac Rehabilitation Nurse and a Cardiac Rehabilitation Physiotherapist and we will send you details of this appointment.

Our aim is to help you review your previous lifestyle and help you make all the appropriate changes to ensure you stay fit and well for as long as possible. 

You will be offered individualised information on the nature of coronary heart disease and your particular diagnosis, returning to normal activities, diet, risk factors, medication and long-term management of your condition. 

To assist with this we offer classes that have exercise, education and relaxation components. 

Once you have been enrolled into classes please call us on 020 8401 3957 if you have any concerns or queries.

Following completion of the programme you are encouraged to continue exercising in the Croydon area at venues staffed by specifically trained exercise professionals.

Your Cardiologist will be informed if you are having any on-going problems post discharge.

If you have been discharged from the service and have any concerns that we can help you with then please do not hesitate to let know. 

The following are also offered:

  • Case management for those requiring longer recovery
  • Referral to cardiologist for advice, if necessary
  • Community or hospital-based nurse-led clinic
  • Physiotherapy assessment
  • An individualised programme that offers options for exercise, education and relaxation
  • Information on the nature of coronary heart disease, returning to normal activities, diet, risk factors, medication and long-term management
  • Support for families and carers
  • Referral to other services as required, or for help stopping smoking you can self -refer to:

Croydon Smoking Cessation Services can be contacted on 020 8401 3083, or via email to CH-tr.justlivewell@nhs.net .

Croydon Cardiac Rehabilitation Contact Information

Croydon Cardiac Rehabilitation
Therapies Department, Woodcroft Wing, Yellow Zone
Croydon University Hospital
530 London Road
Croydon
CR7 7YE 
Email: mhn-tr.croydoncardrehab@nhs.net
Tel: Enquiries 020 8401 3957
Tel: Advice following day case angioplasty 020 8401 3264 
For any other cardiology enquiries, such as appointments for investigations, please contact the Cardiology and Respiratory Points Of Delivery (POD) team on 020 8401 3974, and press option 1.

The Croydon Cardiac Support Group

The Croydon Cardiac Support Group is for patients and carers. It is run by ex-heart patients who know just how you may be feeling at this time. They visit the Cardiac Zone once a week and hold meetings in the Post Graduate Medical Centre in Croydon University Hospital every second Wednesday of the month from March to December, from 7.15-9.00pm.
Tel: 07950 410 768
Cardiac Support Group website: www.heartsupportgroup.co.uk
Email: croydoncardiacsupportgroup@live.com

 

Inpatient care, treatments and investigations

The department includes a dedicated inpatient Cardiac Zone at Croydon University Hospital managing on average 30 inpatients at any given time, with close consultant-led supervision of care.

Our consultant cardiologists deliver 24/7 on-call cover, including weekend ward rounds.

The cardiology department provide a high-quality consultant-delivered percutaneous coronary intervention service, as evidenced by British Cardiovascular Intervention Society. (BCIS) national audit data.

We perform the following procedures every year:

  • 1200 coronary angiograms
  • 400 coronary interventions
  • 80 pressure wire studies
  • Intravascular ultrasound procedures

Since March 2013, the department has also delivered a high-quality complex pacing devices service, including implantation of defibrillators (ICDs) and biventricular pacemakers (CRT), to complement our long-established bradycardia pacing activity (approximately 120 new implants per year). Both interventional and pacing services have developed by close working with cardiologists and cardiac surgeons at King’s College Hospital.

The Croydon Heart Centre is a development that has renewed cardiology facilities at Croydon University Hospital and brought them together into one location.

The first phase involved modernisation of the Cardiac Care Unit into a 12-bed gender-separated ward as part of the Cardiac Zone in London Wing. The second phase includes a modern spacious cardiac operating theatre.

Construction work on phase three has already begun, enabling the relocation of non-invasive cardiology and the cardiology outpatient clinic suite to a single area.

Investigations and treatments

The cardiology department perform approximately 25,000 non-invasive tests per year, including GP open-access services. Non-invasive investigations include:

  • Electrocardiogram (ECG)
  • Exercise ECG
  • 24/48/72 hour ECG  
  • 24 hour blood pressure monitor  
  • Event recorder
  • Echocardiography
  • Trans-oesophageal echocardiography
  • Stress echocardiography
  • Cardiac CT, including CT coronary angiography

Invasive investigations and treatments offered include:

  • Cardiac catheterisation, including coronary angiography
  • Intra-coronary ultrasound and pressure wire assessment
  • Percuanteous coronary Intervention (PCI)
  • Permanent pacemaker implant / renewal (for bradycardia)
  • Temporary pacemaker (for bradycardia)
  • Biventricular pacemaker / defibrillator implant (usually for heart failure)
  • Implantable loop recorder (for diagnosis of infrequent syncope)

GP advice and guidance

Advice and guidance requests should be submitted via eRS.

There is also a GP hotline 020 8401 3808.

Outpatient and rapid access clinics

There are general cardiology outpatient clinics at Croydon University Hospital and Purley War Memorial Hospital and in addition to this, a number of specialised clinics are available.

The redesigned cardiology clinics are one-stop or specialised consultant-led clinics that follow guidance developed jointly by Croydon Health Services and NHS Croydon Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).  

A detailed letter including diagnosis, further investigation, and an agreed treatment plan is sent to both the patient and GP within five to seven days of appointments.

Referrals

Contact details for patients and for GP referrals are:

Tel: 020 8401 3800 and Email: ch-tr.bookings@nhs.net

Or, if it is a follow-up appointment, on Tel: 020 8401 3974 and Email: CH-TR.cardiologyrespiratory@nhs.net

 

All of these should be referred into e-RS with the following services:

Cardiology- Arrhythmia @ Croydon University Hospital RJ6

General Cardiology @ Purley Hospital-RJ6 

General Cardiology @ Croydon University Hospital - RJ6

Cardiology - Congential Heart Disease @ Croydon University Hospital - RJ6

Cardiology- Murmur & Valve @ Croydon University Hospital-RJ6

One Stop Heart Failure Service @ Croydon University Hospital-RJ6

Rapid Access Chest Pain Clinic @ Croydon University Hospital - RJ6

Rapid Access Chest Pain Clinic @ Shirley Clinic-RJ6

Cardiology- Arrhythmia @ Purley Hospital RJ6

Rapid Access Chest Pain Clinic @ Purley Hospital - RJ6

If you unsure about referrals you may wish to contact the above phone or email for our GP advice service. 

Rapid access chest pain clinic

Patients with chest discomfort possibly due to coronary heart disease are seen by a specialist in this clinic within two weeks of referral by their GP, in accordance with National Service Framework standards. The possible diagnoses, initial treatment, and further investigation are fully discussed with each patient before agreeing a plan of action.

Direct line to co-ordinator: 020 8401 3043/4487/5901.

Heart failure 

Difficulty in breathing or swollen legs may be signs of heart failure. The team sees all patients with possible new heart failure within two to six weeks of referral by their GP, in accordance with NICE quality standards. 

This is a comprehensive one-stop clinic. Patients will undergo an echocardiogram (cardiac ultrasound), consult with a specialist in heart failure, and receive education and advice from a heart failure nurse specialist, all in a single outpatient appointment.

Suspected arrhythmia

Palpitations, dizzy spells, irregular heartbeats, and blackouts are common symptoms, and might reflect disturbances of the heart rhythm. The service aims to see patients with such symptoms within two to six weeks of referral.  

Heart rhythm specialists and heart rhythm nurses collaborate to deliver high-quality care including patient education. Many patients will require further investigation (e.g. 24-hour heart rhythm monitor), which may occur before, during or after the appointment.

Tel: 0208 401 3043/4487/5901.

Heart murmur & valve clinic

Heart murmurs can be due to underlying heart valve disease, and when this is suspected, referral to the heart murmur & valve clinic will ensure early assessment, diagnosis and treatment from a heart valve specialist.

This clinic also follows up patients with known significant valvular heart disease, where the surgical or percutaneous intervention timeframe is critical, and those who have already undergone such treatments.

Other outpatient clinic services include:

  • Pacing clinic for follow-up of simple pacemaker devices (physiologist-delivered, consultant-supervised)
  • Pacing clinic for follow-up of complex pacemaker devices (physiologist-delivered, consultant-supervised)
  • Pre-admission clinics (registrar- and nurse- delivered) for patient education, discussion and consent before invasive cardiac procedures e.g. coronary angiography, pacemaker implantation 

Location

Cardiology Department

Croydon University Hospital

530 London Road

Croydon

CR7 7YE

Clinicians

Contact Us


Please call us on 020 8401 3974 or email ch-tr.cardiologyrespiratory@nhs.net


Dr Ravindu  Kamdar
Heart Failure Consultant


Dr Sunil Balani
Consultant Cardiologist 


Dr Teresa Castiello
Consultant Cardiologist


Dr Jennifer Jenner
Associate Specialist


Dr Csilla Jozsa
Trust Specialist Registrar


Dr Sanjay Kumar
Consultant Cardiologist


Dr Valeria Pergola
Consultant Cardiologist
 

Dr Asif Qasim
Consultant Cardiologist


Dr Husain Shabeeh
Consultant Cardiologist


Dr Konstantinos Zacharias
Consultant Cardiologist