Cardiology

• email stephen.leslie@nhs.scot  
• phone 01463 705462 (secretary)

Specialist clinical interests: heart failure, cardiac rehabilitation and research.  Does not undertake private work.

Professor Steve Leslie graduated from the University of Edinburgh in 1994. He undertook the bulk of his clinical training in the South East of Scotland. He completed a period of clinical research in at the University of Edinburgh and was awarded a PhD in 2005. He was appointed a consultant at Raigmore Hospital in 2006 and is clinical lead for heart failure and cardiac rehabilitation.

Education and training: BSc 1992, MB ChB 1994, PhD 2005, FRCP 2007.

Membership of professional, national and regional bodies and university posts: Honorary Professor University of Stirling and University of the Highlands and Islands; Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians, Edinburgh.

• email jonathan.watt@nhs.scot 
• phone 01463 705943 (secretary) 

Specialist clinical interests: interventional cardiology, research and audit, quality improvement, service and clinical lead for cardiology in NHS Highland.

Dr Jonathan Watt graduated from the University of Glasgow in 2000. He completed cardiology training in the West of Scotland. His research into coronary heart disease and stents led to the award of a postgraduate MD in 2011. Following an interventional cardiology fellowship in Halifax, Canada and working as consultant interventional cardiologist at the Freeman Hospital, Newcastle, he was appointed as consultant at Raigmore Hospital in 2015.

Education and training: MB ChB Glasgow 2000, MRCP Glasgow 2003, MD Glasgow 2011.

• email peter.clarkson1@nhs.scot 
• phone 01463 708256 (direct)
• phone 01463 705005 (secretary)

Specialist clinical interests: pacing, imaging, congenital heart disease.

Dr Peter Clarkson graduated from the University of Aberdeen in 1989. He was a consultant in Lancaster and Kendal for 10 years before relocating to Inverness in 2010.

Education and training: MB ChB 1989, MRCP 1992, MD 1995, FRCP 2012.

No private work, very happy to take emails for advice.

Specialist interest: interventional cardiology.

I graduated from Aberdeen University in 1995, trained in Aberdeen and Inverness and qualified as a consultant in both cardiology and general medicine. After Aberdeen I undertook a cardiac interventional fellowship in Halifax, Canada. I then took up my appointment at Raigmore as an interventional cardiologist.
I work now in general cardiology and I am clinical lead for cardiac intervention.

Education and training: MB ChB Aberdeen 1995, MRCP Edinburgh 1999, Cardiac Interventional Fellowship Halifax Canada 2008.

• email zaid.iskandar2@nhs.scot 
• phone extension 8506

Specialist clinical interests: coronary intervention - in particular complex, high risk and CTO angioplasty; intravascular imaging (IVUS and OCT); microvascular dysfunction. 

I graduated from the University of Manchester in 2010, and completed my cardiology training in the East of Scotland in 2022. During my training, I also completed a period of postgraduate research into biomarkers of aortic aneurysms at the University of Dundee and was awarded an MD in 2022. After completion of training, I undertook an interventional cardiology fellowship at the Bristol Heart Institute focusing on complex and CTO PCI.  I was appointed as a consultant interventional cardiologist at Raigmore in January 2023. 

In my free time I enjoy travelling and spending time with my family, and am a lifelong, suffering Manchester United fan. 

Education and training: MBChB 2010, MRCP 2014, MD 2022, Interventional Cardiology Fellowship Bristol Heart Institute 2022.

• email ahmed.mahrousabouzaid@nhs.scot 

• email charles.bloe@nhs.scot 
• phone 01463 704060 (direct)

Charlie Bloe has a particular interest in two key areas of cardiology: the early management of acute coronary syndrome and embolic stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation. He established one of the first nurse-led thrombolysis practices in Scotland in 1990, and soon after arriving at NHS Highland in 2008 he developed the pre-hospital ECG support service that has significantly increased early delivery of life-saving thrombolysis treatment by paramedics. His work around embolic stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation won first place at the coveted Thrombus 2012 Awards. Charlie was UK Cardiovascular Specialist Nurse of the Year 2020.

Education and training: BSc RN NDN ITU cert. Charlie graduated from the University of Edinburgh in 1984 and subsequently pursued a career in Acute Cardiac Nursing. He has been particularly proactive in Cardiac Education and has authored over 50 interactive educational programmes to date. His work in cardiac CPD earned Charlie The British Journal of Cardiac Nursing Innovation in Education Award in 2008.