Dr Ian Loke

I have been a full time NHS consultant for over 15 years, having been appointed in 2007 to the University Hospitals of Leicester. Over this time, I have overseen the development of the heart failure service in Leicester from a single handed service to one of the largest integrated teams in the UK.

I established one of the first urgent heart failure clinics in the UK a decade ago. This has been cited as an example of exemplary service in the European Society of Cardiology and remains one of the busiest in the country.

I have a passion for looking after patients with this complex clinical syndrome and believe in a comprehensive and compassionate approach. I am proficient at using point of care ultrasound which allows me to make a detailed clinical assessment of all my patients at the bedside. Managing the complex heart failure patient demands a breadth in experience in all areas of cardiology such as coronary artery disease, hypertension and management of arrhythmias and even non cardiac areas such as renal medicine and lung disease.

Having seen thousands of heart failure patients over the years, I believe I am able to deliver a comprehensive assessment of the breathless patient to allow prompt diagnosis and expert treatment, be it with the latest medicines, device therapy as well as recommending surgical intervention.

In addition to being a high volume implanter of pacemakers and defibrillators, I am also one of the few UK consultants who implant pulmonary artery monitors which allow day to day management of complex heart failure patients. I am also proficient in performing and interpreting right heart cardiac catheters, which allows a very detailed and thorough investigation of cardiac haemodynamics which are occasionally needed in the management of complex heart failure patients.

Being a regular speaker at national and international meetings, I am very up to date on the latest drug and device interventions that are available for patients.

In addition to a very busy outpatient commitment, I also implant cardiac devices such as pacemakers and defibrillators. Over the years, I have been consistently in the top 5 implanting cardiologists in the UK by volume and have extensive experience in cardiac re-synchronisation and defibrillator devices. In just three years (2017 to 2020), I was responsible for over 740 pacemaker procedures, putting me in the top three consultants int the UK in terms of volume.

I am the local heart failure lead in Leicester. I was previously the regional lead for heart failure in the Midlands.

I am also on the education committee of the British Society for Heart Failure