Dr Lalit Bhalla

I am a Consultant Cardiologist at the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board.  I qualified in Medicine from the University of Sheffield in 2000 and also achieved honours in Pharmacology and Therapeutics at Sheffield in 1997.  I undertook my junior doctor training in various hospitals in Yorkshire and London and in 2005 I was successful in obtaining a training number in Cardiology with the Welsh Deanery and have been in Wales ever since.

I became a Consultant Cardiologist in 2011 and my first post was from 2011 till April 2020 at Prince Charles Hospital in Merthyr Tydfil.  Upon joining this post, I came across my first challenge of setting up a stress echocardiography service.  This was successfully set up through the involvement of multiple professionals and I am proud to say that a mature stress echo service is now running at the hospital using all stress modalities including a physiologist led low-risk stress echo service.

I held the post of Training Programme Director for all Cardiology trainees in Wales for 3 years.  This is the “Cardiology arm” of the Welsh Deanery and deals with all training aspects for Cardiology Registrars throughout their training until they can be signed off as Consultant Cardiologists.

I held the post of Clinical Governance Lead for Cardiology for 3 years during my time in Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board.  Clinical governance, audit and data collection is an essential part of a procedure heavy speciality like Cardiology.  This is one method of ensuring the practice remains contemporary and procedure numbers, complications are all recorded and discussed regularly to ensure best practice is maintained.

I joined the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board in April 2020 to face new challenges and new opportunities especially with the imminent commencement of the new Grange University Hospital.

My specialist training within cardiology is in echocardiography and I am fully trained in all aspects including transthoracic, transoesophageal and stress echocardiography.

My specialist interest in Cardiology is in the assessment of:
•    Coronary artery disease, angina and the non-invasive assessment of chest pain
•    Valvular heart disease (heart murmurs)
•    Cardiovascular risk assessment of patients prior to undergoing any surgery
•    Cardiovascular disease prevention

As part of general cardiology, I routinely assess, diagnose and manage patients with all kinds of cardiac diseases including:
•    Atrial fibrillation, stroke prevention and other heart rhythm disturbances
•    Heart failure and cardiomyopathies
•    Hypertension

•    Coronary artery disease, angina and the non-invasive assessment of chest pain
•    Valvular heart disease (heart murmurs)
•    Cardiovascular risk assessment of patients prior to undergoing any surgery
•    Cardiovascular disease prevention

CCT, FRCP, MB ChB Medicine, BMedSci

Year of first medical qualification: 2000

Professional Memberships:
•    Fellow of The Royal College of Physicians of London
•    British Society of Echocardiography
•    British Heart Valve Society
•    British Cardiovascular Society
•    European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging

I am happily married with 2 children.  Since first coming to Wales in 2005, I have grown to love this country as my own and we now consider ourselves to be Welsh Indians!
I am a keen hiker and am regularly found in the Brecon Beacons.  Having hiked up Snowdon, Scafell Pike and Ben Nevis on numerous occasions, I intend to continue this hobby for a long while yet.

•    Consultant Cardiologist, Royal Gwent Hospital, Aneurin Bevan University Health Board

I am accredited by the British Society of Echocardiography in transthoracic echocardiography and maintain my accreditation by regularly performing echocardiograms and keeping my knowledge up to date by attending courses and conferences in echocardiography.
I follow the General Medical Councils guidelines on “Good Medical Practice” to ensure my patients get the best in Cardiac Care.  This involves regular appraisal, self-directed learning, keeping up to date with the latest developments in Cardiology and collecting outcomes on all procedures that I perform.

•    Case report - Bhalla L, Wheeler R, O’Keefe P. “Multiple cardiac papillary fibroelastomas in association with rheumatic heart disease” The Journal of the British Society of Echocardiography 2010; 71: 22-23
•    Poster presentation - Welsh Cardiovascular Society 2011 - “The initial management of aortic dissection at the University Hospital of Wales.”