BiCCEP – The British Congenital Cardiac Electrophysiology Group
Informing good practice and sharing best care in the field of congenital heart disease arrhythmia in the UK
Affiliated with the British Heart Rhythm Society
About BiCCEP
BiCCEP – the British Congenital Cardiac Electrophysiology group – is a coming-together of electrophysiologists (heart rhythm cardiologists), specialising in heart rhythm disturbances (arrhythmia) in adults with congenital heart disease.
The purpose of the BiCCEP working group is to inform good practice and best care in the field of congenital heart disease arrhythmia in the UK.
We meet quarterly via Teams, with an annual in-person educational meeting each Autumn.
Any electrophysiologist caring for patients with congenital heart disease is welcome to join the group. Sub-speciality trainees or cardiac physiologists may also be eligible to attend meetings.
About Congenital Arrhythmia
The number of surviving adults with congenital heart disease is increasing, and arrhythmia is one of the main causes of morbidity. Consequently the field of congenital heart disease arrhythmia is growing.
Management of arrhythmia in patients with congenital heart disease varies considerably across the UK – for a variety of reasons including geographical location, the network care level of the congenital heart disease centre, and access to appropriately experienced electrophysiologists and facilities.
Through our organisation, there are many opportunities for learning, shared-care and service development across the secondary, tertiary and quaternary platforms (level 2 and 3 centres). The development of a cohesive congenital EP network is beneficial for patients and clinicians.
History of the Group
The group began as an exchange of contact information and an informal meeting at HRC in 2018, and subsequently our first educational meeting was held in London in January 2019.
It was attended by 22 consultant electrophysiologists from across the UK including from Glasgow, Southampton, Newcastle, Liverpool, London, Leeds, Birmingham and Bristol.
Feedback was universally positive and it was agreed to continue meeting on an annual basis.
Sharing Expertise
We have a shared interest in improving the arrhythmia care of adults with congenital heart conditions. These patients may have complex anatomy, physiology and rhythm disturbances, and differ from non-congenital patients.
Each patient is unique but there may be shared characteristics within conditions, and by sharing our expertise, we are able to learn from each other about cases which we may each only see a handful of times a year.
Our emphasis is on inclusivity, and the sharing of knowledge and experience, for the benefit of both patients and clinicians in this field.
Our Vision
Our vision and aspirations include:
The creation a national registry, databases and collaborating on research projects,
utilising the full extent of experience across the UK, in order to answer the many questions that remain in the management of arrhythmia in patients with congenital heart disease,
with a particular emphasis on our UK population and considering the healthcare system in which we work.
Working In Partnership:
Through BiCCEP, we can form links with both each other and other colleagues internationally.
Many of the group sit on BHRS council and have been responsible for the writing of the BHRS congenital arrhythmia guidelines.
We are affiliated to the British Heart Rhythm Society (BHRS).
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About Our Meetings
BiCCEP group meetings offer an open forum and access to colleagues with transferable skills and experience.
We run quarterly Teams meeting to discuss complex cases where a multi-consultant discussion may be helpful to guide management.
We have an in-person annual educational meeting in the late autumn, which has successfully run every year (except one during the COVID pandemic) since 2019.
The aim is to develop and provide guidance, through the review of published literature, as well as shared experience. The group recognises that the heterogeneous nature and smaller volume of the congenital heart disease arrhythmia population, necessitates a high degree of collaboration, cooperation and knowledge-sharing in order to achieve the best results for our patients.
Specialist Centres:
Regional Contacts:
Scotland: Dr Gareth Padfield (Glasgow)
North West: Dr Reza Ashrafi (Liverpool)
North Central: Dr Dominic Hares (Leeds)
North East: Dr Ruairidh Martin (Newcastle)
Midlands: Dr Joe de Bono (Birmingham)
East of England:
West of England:
London:
South Coast:
Join / Contact Us:
If you would like to join us, would like to speak to one of our Regional Contacts, or have any other queries, please do get in touch.