A Golden Jubilee cardiologist has been appointed to one of the tops jobs in heart failure prevention.

Professor Roy Gardner, a Consultant Cardiologist at the hospital in Clydebank has been appointed Chair of the British Society for Heart Failure (BSH) which aims to offer patients better life quality and longevity.

Upon his appointment, Professor Gardner said: “It is a real honour to lead the UK’s professional association for heart failure care for the next 2 years – particularly at a time when the condition is the most common reason for people over the age of 65 being admitted to hospital.

“It also conveys a worse prognosis than most types of cancer and should be recognised, detected and treated with the same urgency.

“Consequently, it is more important than ever to raise awareness of this important condition, as we now have a number of very effective therapies that can make patients feel better and live longer.

Clydebank Post: Pioneering surgeon Fred Picard has worked at the Golden Jubilee Hospital in Clydebank for more than 12 years

“Indeed, we have many patients who have enjoyed a good quality of life for many years having had access to the fantastic array of treatments we have available to us at the Golden Jubilee – from the latest medication, defibrillators and pacemakers to heart transplantation.

“We are also conducting a number of clinical trials evaluating potential heart failure treatments of the future.”

Professor Gardner has specialised in the field for 14 years and built world-class expertise in advanced heart failure, complex device implantation and biomarkers.

He has been an elected member of the BSH board since 2013 and in that time has supported and led the Society’s aims of increasing knowledge about the diagnosis, causes and management of heart failure, as well as developing a skilled heart failure workforce to improve outcomes for patients.

The BSH ‘Freedom from Failure – The F Word campaign’ is raising awareness of heart failure to encourage checking for symptoms such as fighting for breath, fatigue and fluid build-up and seeking medical help early.

“If we want to eliminate heart failure as a leading cause of death in the UK, we need to educate everyone to recognise the symptoms and seek help urgently,” Professor Gardner added.

“There has been incredible progress in recent years in regards to treating heart failure and I believe through early diagnosis, specialist referral and the right treatment at the right time, we will help many more people live better and longer.”