A look inside Cardiac Physiology: Lewis’s story | MY staff stories

My name is Lewis and I have been a qualified cardiac physiologist working in Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust (MYTT) for five years.

Our role is often seen as an obscure one – I am still yet to find it when I renew my car insurance – however, I guarantee that if you or a family member has ever had a cardiac test done, you will have been seen by a cardiac physiologist.

We are part of a multi-disciplinary team (MDT) treating patients who attend with heart attacks or slow heart rhythms in our cath labs. We perform highly specific tests to produce reports that aid in the diagnosis of a range of different cardiac conditions, and we run clinics to follow up with patients to check their heart devices for the rest of their lives.

This is really the tip of the iceberg when it comes to our role, but I am here to tell you about my experiences and why I chose a career in the cardiac sciences and the NHS.

I always had a passion for the sciences at school, and the idea of being able to help people and make a real difference to their lives means that I never considered a role outside medicine and healthcare.

My passion and appreciation for the value of the NHS, with its core values of medical treatment being a right and not a privilege for the rich, was another driving force for me to work in the healthcare system.

I stumbled across the role whilst in sixth form on placement in my local hospital, I witnessed these cardiac physiologists working across cardiology alongside nurses, doctors and radiographers and saw a clear path for me to follow.

I had never heard of the role before my work placement and if not for that chance encounter, I probably wouldn’t have become a cardiac physiologist, which is why I am passionate about promoting our role and explaining what we do.  

I studied Cardiac Physiology at the University of Leeds and had placements in hospitals across Yorkshire including at MYTT. My second year at the Trust saw me not only grow academically but it provided me with the room and support to develop skills in patient care and communication.

I felt like a part of team even though I was ‘just a student’ thanks to the excellent people around me in the cardio-respiratory department, and this was a massive reason I successfully applied for a role here when I graduated.

My five years here have been a steep learning curve. My current role is one that is part of our Cardiac Rhythm Management Team – primarily in devices such as pacemakers, defibrillators and implantable monitors.

The work is fast-paced; it requires a keen eye for detail and the ability to retain knowledge, not only on a range of device types but also the different brands, so we can provide the best possible solutions for our patients.

The most challenging part of my role is the acute care we provide for patients with life-threatening cardiac problems, whether that’s leading defibrillation and rhythm recognition in patients undergoing cardiac caths or programming a patient’s device when they have been admitted with a cardiac arrest and need a pacemaker or defibrillator to save their lives.

Although it is stressful and often high pressure, we have a fantastic team of nurses, doctors, cardiac physiologists, healthcare assistants and radiographers all working together to provide the best possible outcomes for patients who are often undergoing the scariest times of their lives.

My favourite aspect of the role involves patient interaction; we are quite unique in that we often see patients year after year in the device clinics, and we get to see first-hand the benefits their pacemaker has provided them.

We get to hear how this device has changed their life, that they have got their lives back free of the burden of collapses and cardiac arrest. It’s a privilege to be part of their recovery, their ongoing care, and to work to see how we can improve things for them in the future.

I personally find it amazing how the science and technology in cardiac rhythm management can make such a massive difference to the lives of our patients, and how it is constantly improving and evolving, and I’ve witnessed this in my five years since qualifying.

My career plans at MYTT are to build on my current role by pursuing advanced accreditation in devices and rhythm management, so I can better support the department and increase the skill mix we have in our team.

I am looking to continue and develop my role as an Immediate Life Support (ILS) instructor, so I can promote the importance of high-quality resuscitation in our Trust, as I know from first-hand experience in our cath labs how important it is to a patient’s outcomes and quality of life.

And I look forward to my ongoing work with our cardiac physiology students on placement and at the University of Leeds, to encourage more people into our profession so it can grow and thrive to provide the best care for our patients.

I am really looking forward to the future of cardiac physiology at MYTT, and I hope you now know more about our role and the work we do.

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Helpful terms explained

Cath lab
A specialist hospital room where a team of specialists diagnose and treat heart problems using thin tubes (catheters) rather than open surgery. Procedures include angiograms, stent insertions and pacemaker implants.

Heart attack
A heart attack happens when the blood supply to part of the heart muscle becomes blocked — usually by a blood clot forming on top of a narrowed artery.

Cardiac arrest
A cardiac arrest is a medical emergency where the heart suddenly stops pumping blood around the body.

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Useful links

If you are interested in becoming a cardiac physiologist, we've provided links to further information below.

• Visit the NHS Health Careers site to find out about routes into cardiac sciences
• Still at school? Take a look at the Step into the NHS website and role profile for cardiac physiologist
• Looking for a role now - visit the Trust's careers section Healthcare scientists