Job summary
CONSULTANT IN CARDIOLOGY WSI IMAGING

We are seeking to recruit 2x innovative and progressive Consultants with an interest in Imaging (Cardiac MRI) to join our Cardiology team. The appointees will cover our new hospital Midland Metropolitan University Hospital (MMUH) during the on call with outpatient clinics at City hospital Birmingham and/or Sandwell General Hospital. Applications are welcomed from candidates with CCT (or equivalent) with an interest in Cardiac MRI who are on the General Medical Council's Specialist Register in Cardiology or who will be within six months of obtaining their CCT at the time of interview. In addition, applicants should demonstrate within their application that they are fully trained in general Cardiology, can manage Cardiology oncalls and can perform the imaging modality independently. This job is a substantive post.

Closing date: 28th October 2026
Interview date: 4th Dec 2026 afternoon

Main duties of the job
The appointee will perform first class imaging (CMR) for elective outpatient cases and urgent inpatients where required. The candidate will also perform on-calls for Cardiology wards and general cardiology 1 in 10 (with internal cover).

The appointee will cover clinics (general Cardiology & specialty), ward rounds and administration duties and will also provide flexible imaging cover. The post will be based primarily at MMUH for ward rounds, and oncalls. Based on the imaging modality, the sessions will be either in MMUH, Sandwell General Hospital or Birmingham City Hospital. The Trust has reconfigured its services in preparation for the implementation of the Right Care Right Here Programme and the post-holder therefore is required have outpatient work continuing on at least one of the other sites.

The appointee will take equal responsibility with existing Consultants for the proper functioning of the clinical service, working with clinical and managerial colleagues towards achieving and maintaining national maximum waiting times and developing clinical pathways.

About us
Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust (SWB) serves Birmingham and the Black Country - one of the country's most culturally diverse areas. It's a friendly and welcoming place - a place where you can belong, and a place where you can grow.

We care for our patients, we care about our population, and we care about our people.

Our values - Ambition, Respect and Compassion - are at the heart of who we are. They guide us every step of the way; how we work with each other, and how we look after our patients and their families; how we respect and value the rich diversity of our team and our community.

Our Trust has always aspired to be more than a hospital, more than a healthcare provider. Our purpose is to "Improve the Life Chances and Health Outcomes of our Population." It is what inspires, drives, and unites us every day. It's what makes us unique.

We want working at SWB to feel like more than just a job. We want our Trust to be a place where you can feel you belong. A place where you feel happy, safe, and rewarded. A place where you can develop your career in whatever way you choose. When we say we're 'with you all the way' we want you to know that we mean it. Visit the SWB website to find out more about our ambitions and people plans.

Details
Date posted: 23 September 2026
Pay scheme: Hospital medical and dental staff
Grade: Consultant
Salary: £113,565 to £150,569 a year
per annum
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Full-time
Reference number: 381-ME-8247955
Job locations: Midland Metropolitan University Hospital, Grove Lane, Smethwick, B66 2QT, United Kingdom

Job responsibilities
Dr Vinoda Sharma is currently Specialty Lead for Cardiology; Dr Stavros Apostolakis is the Clinical Director for Admitted Care, of which Cardiology forms a part; Dr Chetan Varma (also an Interventional Consultant Cardiologist) is the Group Director for Medicine and Emergency Care. MMUH has Medical Admission Units adjacent to the Emergency Departments. The Trust runs a ward-based system for general medical patients.

Cardiology day time duties:
The cardiology consultants provide a seven day service for cardiology patients at MMUH. The appointee will participate in day time general cardiac duties as Cardiologist of the Week (COW) at MMUH Cardiology department on a 1 in 10 rota (8am-6pm weekdays), reviewing and managing Cardiology patients, and 8am -2pm on the weekend of the COW week. On the MMUH AMU, there is a daily consultant ward round on the acute medical unit (after initial assessment by the RMO and medical on-take team) in which patients needing prolonged specialist cardiac or catheter lab management are transferred the Cardiology A2 ward. All the patients requiring cardiology management are reviewed by the cardiology team with daily ward rounds on the cardiology wards, acute medical unit and ward referrals. All suspected acute coronary syndrome patients will be seen, as well as those with significant arrhythmias and those with heart failure. AMU Cardiology referrals in MMUH are covered by the Interventional Cardiologists who perform a 1:8 cover Monday to Friday from 08:00-12:30 noon. On call weekend interventional cardiologists do a Saturday morning list for acute ward patients.

Out-patient Clinics at Sandwell and City Hospitals
At Sandwell Hospital, the out-patient department is directly adjacent to the cardiology department and therefore access to exercise testing, echocardiography and rhythm management facilities. At City Hospital, the Birmingham Treatment Centre also provides out-patient facilities adjacent to the Cardiology Department. The appointee would have two cardiology clinics per week. There may be a requirement for the appointee to do outpatient work outside the hospital in line with the Right Care Right Here programme. At present there were a total of about 18000 outpatient attendances per year in the cardiology Dept. Modern IT systems (UNITY) support delivery of service to improve rapid turnover and communication with primary care and all our patient records are electronic.

Cardiac Intervention/Pacing
MMUH is equipped with state of the art Siemens Artis Icono Biplane catheter labs adjacent to each other with a brand new third catheter lab which opened in March 2026 and is dedicated to pacing and devices. Cath lab coordination is supported using the dedicated Labyrinth@ IT system and dedicated nurse Cath Lab Coordinator. One cath lab runs routinely from 8am-6pm and Saturday mornings from 9am -12pm, with the second lab running 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday. Cath labs run mixed lists of acute and elective patients. The Trust has a longstanding PCI programme and has undertaken coronary intervention with off-site surgical support from neighbouring cardiac surgical facilities for over 2 decades. A primary angioplasty service for acute

Person Specification
Qualifications:
Essential

• Entry on the Specialist Register in cardiology (or entry expected within 6 months from the date of interview)

Desirable

• Higher Degree
• Imaging (CMR) Fellowship

Clinical Experience:
Essential

• Clinical training and experience equivalent to that required for gaining CCT in cardiology

Desirable

• Special interest that complements the existing consultants (e.g. Structural imaging, stress CMR)

Management and Administrative Experience:
Essential

• Ability to organise and prioritise workload effectively

Clinical Effectiveness
Essential

• Experience of conducting clinical audit

Teaching and Training experience:
Essential

• Ability to teach clinical skills to medical and nursing staff and other disciplines.

Desirable

• Formal training in teaching

Research, Innovation and Service Improvement Experience:
Essential

• Ability to apply research outcomes to clinical problems
• An awareness of current specialty developments, initiatives and issues.

Desirable

• Knowledge and experience of the application of information technology to cardiology
• Publications in relevant peer-reviewed journals in the last five years.
• Evidence of having undertaken original research

Other Requirements:
Essential

• Full GMC Registration

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details
Employer name: Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust
Address: Midland Metropolitan University Hospital, Grove Lane, Smethwick, B66 2QT, United Kingdom
Employer's website: https://www.swbh.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer contact details
For questions about the job, contact:
Group Director for Med & Consultant Cardiologist
Dr Chetan Varma
c.varma@nhs.net
01215075842