Profile

Fortunately we have amazing outdoor spaces all around the country. I spend time walking my dog, Mabel- a working golden retriever, around our beautiful countryside sometimes with our horse. We are currently walking Ethels in the peak district  but also getting out and about in the Lake District and Cornwall. When not walking we spend time training, Mabel gets very excited about training, including dog sports like agility and hoopers.

As well as walking I love to spend time taking photographs of the family, friends  and the places that we have explored. My wife is a keen equestrian so we spend time at the stabling and going out about with our horse Captain. When not outside I enjoying sitting down with a good film or tv show.

Working in the NHS my job involves looking after people, and this is an amazing thing. The people might be visiting just for that test or they may be in the hospital for a inpatient stay.

My main job is to look after heart rhythms- how the heart ticks.  I spend my time in 2 main areas:

1. Implantable Cardiac Devices- I spend a lot of my time looking after people that have a cardiac devices. Such as a pacemaker. These devices help to keep the heart ticking in patients whose heart maybe goes too slowly at times, or maybe too quickly. Think of it like programming a PC that helps to look after your heartbeats.
2. Heart monitors- I spend a lot of time analysing heart monitors. These are little machines that people take home to monitor their heart beats. We can assess these heartbeats over the time that the monitor is worn to help give information to the doctors. It is through these monitors that we sometimes help find the patients that might need a cardiac device to heart regulate their heartbeats.
   

On top of this I help undertake heart traces (electrocardiograms) including when patients are doing exercise.

• First thing we do is get ready for the day. This can be as simple as looking at who is attending and for what. Working closely as a team to setup the department for the day
• In a clinic I might see up to 10 different people, and their relatives. No one person is the same, some people will be really chatty otherwise would rather stay quiet but it is always so interesting to talk, and listen, to what people have to say.
• In seeing each patient we weigh up the information that we see and use it to write a report. This can then be used by the doctors to help look after that patient.
• Whilst working in clinic even when we work alone, we work as part of a team.
  Sharing information and helping each other with opinions on what we think might be going on. This team includes other physiologists, our brilliant administrative team, the doctors, nurses.
• Through the day we often spend time teaching. This is a central task that we undertake to bring through the next generation. Whilst we are able to share our experience there is always something that you can pick up through the process of teaching.
• A lot of my day is spent in the department, however I do get out and about, a lot of what we can do is on wheels. There are not many parts of the hospital I have not visited over the years that I have worked.
• Through the day I will try to find time to keep on top of my own education. Cardiac physiology doesn’t stay still so it is important to keeping improving my own knowledge. Fortunately there are lots of resources and these days more online education and meetings that can be used.