5 minute read
Meet the President-Elect
In December, the College will welcome incoming President Hany Eteiba to his new role. Kat Hannah visited him at the Golden Jubilee National Hospital to discuss his work, his life and thoughts for the future.
It’s 1pm when I meet Professor Hany Eteiba at the Cardiology unit, and he greets me with his trademark smile. He’s been at the hospital since 7am and has made time to give me a brief tour of the department where he works as an interventional cardiologist and Associate Medical Director of the Heart, Lung and Diagnostics division.
A&E doctors and paramedics across the country send patients’ clinical data and ECGs directly to medical and nursing staff who are on-call around the clock. This means the team can begin assessing each individual case even before the patient arrives. The hospital has the fastest ‘door to balloon’ time in the UK for treating patients having a heart attack – that is, the time from patient arrival to opening their blocked artery.
Interventional cardiology is a specialty – and a community – Professor Eteiba loves. “The most important thing for me is connecting with people,” he says.
“With hospital patients, their families, colleagues and the College community.
“Being able to make a difference in someone’s life – to give someone another chance at life – is incredibly rewarding. It wouldn’t be possible without loyal and skilled colleagues and the wider team.”
The pace of innovation in cardiology has been rapid. “When I was a medical student, a heart attack meant spending several weeks in bed. The only available treatments were painkillers, oxygen and anticoagulants, and the mortality rate was very high.
“Now we can bring people in and, within minutes, open up their blocked arteries. We can save heart muscle, improve heart function and enhance the chance of survival – and importantly, improve quality of life.”
A passionate advocate for education and CPD, Professor Eteiba has been the director of our Interactive Cardiology Conference for more than 10 years, which this year focused on AI and personalised medicine.
“As clinicians, it’s vital that we share experiences and knowledge so that together, we can give the best possible patient care and continue to raise the bar. As a multidisciplinary College, we are uniquely placed to do that.”
His connection to the College dates back to 1985, when then-President Professor Ross Lorimer invited him in for a tour.
“As a cardiology trainee, I knew it was a real credit to be part of this College, and to see it for the first time was an amazing experience – the start of my understanding of the profound value of College life.”
In 1997, he joined the newly established international committee and maintains a global outlook today. “As a College, we are proud to attract members from all over the world. Our international network delivers huge cultural and social benefits to the UK, as well as mutual learning. Ill health has no geographical boundaries, and so an international perspective on healthcare is vital, as underlined by the international effort to develop the Covid vaccine during the pandemic.”
Both at home and internationally, Professor Eteiba is concerned about the health and wellbeing of the healthcare professions.
“There is a lot of burnout and enormous pressure on colleagues across disciplines. For the NHS, this has been exacerbated by Covid and the recovery process, as well as longstanding workforce challenges and rota gaps.
“As a College community, it’s vital that we look after each other and this will be a key priority for me in the coming years.
“It’s essential that we continue to offer the services that our Members and Fellows want and need. I want to listen, and to hear, and the voice of our doctors in training is particularly important in this.”
As we reach the end of our cardiology department tour, I ask Professor Eteiba about his hobbies, and he chuckles.
“My wife, Veronique, would tell you it’s very difficult to get me to switch off from my work schedule! But a good biography, a nice movie, watching an international football match with my son Pierre-Samy, a forest walk or a meal with friends are good ways for me to relax.”
He also enjoys travelling – to Egypt, France, or “any sunny place with a beach”. “To me, the sea represents freedom, escape, time for reflection, energy and memories”, he says.
“As a child living in very busy Cairo, a summer holiday by the Med was something I waited for all year round.”
Professor Eteiba took up post as President-Elect in December 2023 and will succeed current President Mike McKirdy at the Annual General Meeting on Friday 6 December 2024
