Cardiology

The Cardiology Department provides comprehensive inpatient and some outpatient services, carrying out a wide range of diagnostic tests and complex treatments on adults with heart disease.

Inpatient services are provided by Acute Cardiac Unit (ACU) with nine cardiac monitoring beds arranged in two bays and a separate specialised procedure room with monitoring equipment), which manages emergency cases that present to the hospital.

Ward 2 is a general cardiac ward, often used as a step-down from ACU, or direct admission for cardiac conditions such as heart failure and heart rhythm disorders from the Emergency wards.

We deal with all conditions affecting the heart, including coronary artery disease (the cause of angina and heart attacks), heart valve disease, heart rhythm disturbances (arrhythmias), heart muscle problems (e.g. heart failure) and high blood pressure (hypertension). If more specialist care is required, patients may be transferred to Norwich or other Centres.

Currently we have the following Cardiology Consultants (Cardiologists) within the trust:

Dr Sreekumar Sulfi  is a Consultant Cardiologist with a special interest in percutaneous coronary intervention.  He is a very good all-round general cardiologist and works at the James Paget University Hospital on a Monday and Tuesday.  

Dr Sunil Nair is our Consultant Cardiologist with a special interest in cardiac imaging and cardiomyopathy and runs our Dobutamine stress echocardiogram service.  He will soon be commencing CT coronary angiography.  He is at the James Paget University Hospital on a Wednesday and Thursday.

Dr Leisa Freeman visits from the Norfolk & Norwich University Hospital on the 1st Thursday of each month and runs a GUCH clinic – adults with congenital heart disease.  She is also in charge of maternal cardiology – pregnant patients with structural heart disease.  She works together with Specialist GUCH Nurse, Sue Greenberry. 

Dr Rajan Jesudason still holds some clinics too and he is at the James Paget University Hospital all day on a Thursday and Friday morning.   

Our consultants are supported by a team of dedicated staff including Junior and Staff Doctors, Cardiac Physiologists, Cardiographers, Nurses, Radiographers and Secretarial and Administrative staff. 

What services are provided?

·         Routine electrocardiograms

·         24-hour blood pressure monitors

·         Ambulatory cardiac monitors and patient-activated cardiac monitoring

·         Routine echocardiograms (Ultrasounds scans)

·         Complex echocardiograms (via endoscope, ‘bubble’ studies, ‘stress’ echo)

·         Exercise tolerance tests

·         Rapid access chest pain clinics

·         General cardiology clinics

.         Heart failure clinics

·         Cardioversion

·         Open access (for GPs) cardiac investigations

·         Cardiac Rehabilitation (now provided by East Coast Community Healthcare)

·         Ambulatory intravenous diuretic service for acute heart failure.

Angiograms, tilt tests, cardiac MRI, cardiac CT and pacemakers are done in Norwich, usually by James Paget consultants who also work there. We are working collaboratively with the Norfolk & Norwich University Hospital to develop basic pacing services at the James Paget.  

How can I get a referral?

Patients are referred by their GP to outpatient clinics, whilst emergency patients are admitted through the Emergency Admissions Unit (EADU) by GP’s or through the Emergency Department.

Where is the department located?

Our inpatient beds are in the Acute Cardiac Unit (ACU) and Ward 2. Cardiology outpatient appointments take place in the Department of Medicine, cardiac diagnostic tests in Clinical Measurements. 

What are the opening times?

The hospital provides a 24 hour emergency service for heart conditions. Major heart attacks may be taken by the ambulance service directly to the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital.

How can I contact the department?

Cardiac tests enquiries: 01493 452424

ACU: 01493 453196

Ward 2: 01493 452002

Cardiac Nurse Specialists: 01493 453078

Individual consultants can be contacted via their secretaries: 

Secretary to Dr Sunil Nair - Lynette Shuckford

Telephone:  (01493) 453772  Email: lynette.shuckford@jpaget.nhs.uk  or lynette.shuckford@nhs.net 

Secretary to Dr S Sulfi and Dr Omar Abdul-Samad - Abbey-Lee Hadden

Telephone:  (01493) 452238  Email: Abbey-Lee.Hadden@jpaget.nhs.uk 

Secretary to Dr L Freeman and Dr K Jesudason 

Telephone:  (01493) 453582 - Cardiology secretaries

To cancel an appointment, please call the secretary of the allocated consultant.