Dr Sarah Clarke: Consultant Cardiologist and Heart Specialist, Cambridge

Heart specialist covering all aspects of heart disease / cardiology including general cardiology, coronary angiography and coronary intervention.

Dr Sarah C Clarke MA, MD, FRCP, FESC, FACC is a Consultant Cardiologist and the Clinical Director of Cardiac Services at Papworth Hospital, Cambridge. She has a specialist interest in interventional cardiology with a private practice that covers general and interventional cardiology. She is Vice President for Education and Research at the British Cardiovascular Society. She is the first female to hold an Executive post at the Society!

Dr Clarke studied medicine at Girton College, University of Cambridge where she obtained a BA in 1987 and MB BChir in 1989. Following junior hospital posts in the region her specialist training was undertaken at Addenbrooke’s and Papworth Hospitals. She was awarded a fellowship in interventional cardiology at the Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, University of Harvard, Boston, USA in 2001. Dr Clarke gained extensive experience in all aspects of interventional cardiology and vascular intervention. She was awarded her research Doctorate in Medicine (MD) in 2004, by the University of Cambridge, UK.

Dr Clarke took up a consultant post in cardiology at Papworth Hospital in 2002 and was appointed Clinical Director of Cardiac Services, Papworth Hospital in 2006. She is responsible for leading and managing both cardiology and cardiac surgery at the hospital. She also holds clinical sessions at Hinchingbrooke (a local District General Hospital) and is an honorary consultant at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge. She has developed and introduced key initiatives for Papworth NHS Trust: the rapid access diagnostic service, Papworth Direct, and primary angioplasty (PPCI or stenting) for acute myocardial infarction (heart attack). She is the PPCI lead for the Acute Programme Board at the East of England Strategic Health Authority and through this role she has overseen the roll out of PPCI to the East of England catchment area (approximately 5 million population) within 18 months.

Dr Clarke was elected a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians (London) in 2006. She is an active member of the British Cardiovascular Society. She is the Vice President for Education and Research at the British Cardiovascular Society. Through this post she delivers the Annual Conference and leads on Education and Research initiatives for members including education for trainees (she is a member of the Specialist Advisory Committee at the Royal College of Physicians) and revalidation for Consultants. She has developed many educational courses with the BCS. She is the ‘innovation champion’ for the Society and is Chair of the Cardiology section of the Medical Futures Awards which is the worlds most prestigious fora and catalyst for innovation in healthcare and lifesciences. Dr Clarke is also a member of the British Cardiovascular Intervention Society and is a member of the Programme Committee for the Annual Conference. She attends both national and international meetings in Europe, USA and Africa. She remains closely affiliated to Girton College, Cambridge and has an ongoing commitment to supervise medical students there in the early years of their medical careers.

Expertise in heart disease, cardiology, coronary angiography and coronary intervention

Dr Clarke has a subspecialty interest in interventional cardiology-coronary intervention and she is one of the most experienced operators in this area in the UK having performed over 750 cases per year, with a success rate higher than 98%.

Dr Clarke is experienced in the use of interventional devices to treat complex coronary lesions or narrowings including rotablation for heavily calcified (hardened) lesions, intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) for evaluation of coronary narrowings, pressure wire for assessment of the significance of a coronary narrowing, and devices designed to cross chronically occluded or blocked arteries. She is a proctor for rotablation training for the British Cardiovascular Intervention Society.

As well as being an experienced interventional cardiologist, Dr Clarke also has extensive general cardiology experience. She has developed and introduced Papworth Direct which is a rapid access diagnostic service in the NHS sector and she has tailored diagnostic pathways to ensure appropriate tests are performed for early diagnosis and onward passage to treatment.

Dr Clarke is a member of several advisory boards for the cardiovascular industry and is also the Book Editor for Cardiology News, a cardiology journal.

All this work extends into Dr Clarke’s private practice where she consults for all aspects of general cardiology (including chest pain, murmurs and valvular disease, palpitation, dizziness and blackout, shortness of breath, heart failure and hypertension or high blood pressure). Dr Clarke undertakes coronary angiography and interventional cardiology as described above.

Cardiovascular research interests

Dr Clarke’s research thesis (2004) assessed the effects of hormones on biochemical risk factors (such as cholesterol and other markers of coronary artery disease in the blood) and endothelial function (artery wall behaviour) in men and women with coronary artery disease.

Currently her main areas of research are in the interventional field, particularly relating to novel stents, intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) and pressure-wire assessment of various coronary narrowings.

Dr Clarke is a member of the Research and Development Directorate at Papworth Hospital and is active in the field of cardiovascular research.

Cardiology and heart treatments offered by Dr Clarke

• Consultation and investigation of general cardiology problems/concerns:
  • Chest pain, angina
  • Murmurs and valvular disease
  • Palpitation, arrhythmia
  • Dizziness and blackout
  • Shortness of breath
  • Heart failure
  • Hypertension (high blood pressure)
• Coronary angiography
• Coronary intervention with angioplasty and stenting
• Rotablation for heavily calcified lesions
• Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) for evaluation of coronary plaques
• Pressure wire for assessment of the significance of a coronary plaque
• Use of devices designed to cross chronically occluded or blocked arteries
• DVLA assessment
• Screening for cardiovascular disease

Professional memberships and affiliations

• Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians (London) (FRCP)
• Member of the British Cardiovascular Society (BCS)
• Member of the British Cardiovascular Intervention Society (BCIS)
• Fellow of the European Society of Cardiology (FESC)
• Fellow of the American College of Cardiology (FACC)

Where can I get treatment for cardiology problems and cardiovascular disease?

Contact details

All enquiries to Dr Clarke's PA:

Mrs Judith Shone

Lakeside Crescent

Papworth Hospital

Papworth Everard

Cambridge

CB23 3RE