WEBINAR 3: ATRIAL FIBRILLATION AND DIABETES - A DEADLY COMBINATION - SPEAKERS

Helen is the National Speciality Adviser for CVD Prevention at NHS England and is working on delivery of the national CVD ambitions for AF, Blood Pressure and Cholesterol in the NHS Long Term Plan. Helen has worked as a CVD specialist for more than 25 years across all care settings. She was clinical adviser to the national AF programme and developed the pharmacist-led virtual clinic model to optimise uptake of anticoagulation in AF, which has now been spread nationally. Helen has recently been appointed as one of the long term conditions lead for South East London Integrated Care System and is also working at UCLPartners on the implementation of proactive care frameworks for long-term conditions to support primary care in the post COVID-19 environment.

Linda qualified as a podiatrist from Durham School of Podiatry in 1986. She has worked for County Durham & Darlington NHS Foundation Trust since then. Linda qualified with a diploma and did a part time honours degree in podiatry in 1990 through Sunderland University and subsequently gained her MSc qualification in 2000. Linda started developing an interest in diabetic footcare and spends the majority of her clinical time dealing with foot ulcers. She works in the multidisciplinary diabetic foot clinic with the diabetic Consultants, which with the support of their consultants and her manager enabled Linda to gain her Non-Medical Prescribing qualification through Teesside University in August 2017. Linda was the first Podiatrist in County Durham & Darlington to gain this qualification. Linda has been working closely with her colleague Kate McKay from the Academic Health Science Network North East and Cumbria on the Diabetes Podiatry & AF Project. Together they have raised awareness on the importance of podiatrists listening to pulse regularity when assessing pedal pulses.

Professor Ahmet Fuat has been a GP in Darlington, Co.Durham for 33 years. He has been a GPSI Cardiology for 20 years having undertaken a Postgraduate Diploma in Cardiol-ogy at Bradford University graduating with distinction. He started the first one stop diagnostic and integrated heart failure clinic in the UK in 17 years ago with local colleagues. His PhD by research in heart failure diagnosis and management including work on natriuretic pep-tides generated several publications that have informed guidelines and led to the award of an Hon-orary Professorial Chair at Durham University.

He holds various roles in CVD and research including the Past President of the new Primary Care Cardiovascular Society (PCCS) which he was instrumental in reforming, CVD Clinical Adviser to the RCGP, CVD and Research Leads for Darlington Primary Care Network (PCN) and Federation, As-sociate Lead for Industry Research at North East and North Cumbria NIHR CRN. He has recently been elected onto the newly formed Darlington PCN Governing body as a GP member, CVD, Research Leads and Chair.

He has a passion for medical education and remains an active lecturer, tutor and researcher. He is on the editorial boards of the British Journal of Cardiology and Primary Care Cardiovascular Jour-nals and a peer reviewer for most high impact Cardiovascular journals and research bodies. His work in community cardiology has been recognised with Fellowships from the RCGP, RCP London and RCP Edinburgh.