Our former National Clinical Director for Heart Disease, Professor Huon Gray has been presented with the Arrhythmia Alliance ‘Outstanding Individual who has contributed to Arrhythmia Services’ award. He was recognised at the Excellence in Practice Award Ceremony, at the annual Heart Rhythm Congress, on Monday 28 September.

Each year at their Heart Rhythm Congress, Arrhythmia Alliance celebrates healthcare professionals, patients, and volunteers who have excelled at improving the diagnosis, treatment and quality of life for all those affected by arrhythmias.

As part of the virtual awards ceremony, Professor Huon Gray was  given their ‘Outstanding Individual who has contributed to Arrhythmia Services’ award, in acknowledgment of his contribution, leadership and dedication to heart disease from the hundreds of thousands of patients he has helped through his work and commitment to improving their care..

Professor Gray was our National Clinical Director for Heart Disease for six years up until  September 2019. He supported our work on a variety of cardiovascular issues as chair of the Specialised Commissioning Cardiac Clinical Reference Group (CRG), a Clinical Panel member of our Congenital Heart Disease service reconfiguration, and our representative on a number of external organisations such as the British Cardiovascular Society, British Heart Foundation and National Institute for Cardiovascular Outcomes Research (NICOR). He worked closely with our Clinical Policy Unit and was instrumental in developing the cardiovascular components and ambitions of the NHS Long Term Plan.

As Professor Gray was unable to take part in the virtual event, our National Director for Heart Disease, Professor Nick Linker accepted the award on his behalf, reading a short acceptance speech in which Professor Gray said:

“In my previous role as National Clinical Director for Heart Disease in NHS England I was pleased to play a small part in pursuing better detection of Atrial Fibrillation, and in raising the profile of inherited cardiac conditions and out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. I thank all those in Arrhythmia Alliance responsible for giving me this award; their contributions to the better care of these patients has been far greater than my own.”

Congratulations to Professor Gray from his colleagues in the Medical Directorate and from everyone at NHS England and NHS Improvement.

Arrhythmias or heart rhythm problems are experienced by more than two million people a year in the UK. Most people with an abnormal heart rhythm can lead a normal life if it is properly diagnosed.