Graduation Ceremony for Rachel Thomas

Mrs Rachel Thomas, Lead Cardiology Acute Care Practitioner at Pilgrim Hospital, Boston has been awarded a Post Graduate Diploma in Cardiology for Practitioners with a Special Interest (PwSI).
Studying at the University of Bradford, Rachel began the 18 month course in March 2012 after receiving financial sponsorship from the Pilgrim Heart and Lung Fund (PHLF) charity. The course, run by Airedale, Bradford and Leeds NHS Trust is a work based learning programme aimed at Practitioners from both the hospital and community settings and it provides a nationally recognised standard of training which enables successful practitioners to work at a Special Interest level in cardiac care. The course is accredited by the British Cardiovascular Society and approved by the Royal College of General Practitioners and the Royal College of Physicians. Successful completion of this course has enabled Rachel to further develop her knowledge and skills in relation to diagnosis and management of patients who present with suspected cardiac related symptoms both in the outpatient clinics and emergency care settings. This enables her to recommend appropriate clinical interventions, as well as offering advice to patients on appropriate lifestyle modifications, keeping in line with current best practice.
This now qualifies her to work autonomously and collaboratively with Consultants and a range of hospital staff or primary care staff, at an advanced level in Cardiology. Rachel has recently set up a nurse-led Arrhythmia clinic which runs alongside a Consultant Cardiology clinic in the outpatient department at Pilgrim Hospital. This new service provides early assessment of patients referred to Cardiology by their GPs who are suffering with palpitations or where a heart rhythm disturbance has already been identified on electrocardiogram (ECG) in primary care and requires specialist opinion or further management. Rachel said: "I would definitely recommend undertaking this course to anyone working within the field of cardiology who wishes to progress to an advanced level. I have learnt a great deal both personally and professionally from completing the course and I am very proud of my achievement. I would like to thank all my family and friends, particularly my husband Duncan for being so supportive and understanding while I am working full time and often studying on my days off and sometimes into the early hours of morning to complete deadlines. I would also like to say a big thank you to Dr Nyman and the PHLF committee members for investing local charitable funds into my training and development."
Rachel is now continuing her studies at the University of Bradford by undertaking a service improvement project for her dissertation module which has also been funded by the Pilgrim Heart & Lung Fund, this will complete her pathway to Masters of Science degree pathway later next year.