Frequenty Asked Questions

Will I be able to report Cardiac CT after this course? - We can teach you but we can not make you learn. This course does not make you an expert reader of cardiac CT, but it does provide you with the knowledge and tools to go forward to start reporting, preferably under mentorship within an established Cardiac CT unit.

Will I be licenced to report cardiac CT after this course? - We do not provide a licence to report. This is a training course that gives you knowledge, but it is up to you to present to your employer the required skills for the role.

Do I need to be accredited to work in the UK? - Employers in the UK may employ you without accreditation if you can demonstrate that you have the right skills for the role. Accreditation recognises and registers that you have trained to a minimum standard. It does not mean you are recognised as an expert.

Does this course provide accreditation to Level 2? No course can provide accreditation. Accreditation is provided by the British Society of Cardiovascular Imaging in the UK and SCCT in the United States. Our course will provide you 150 workstation cases and over 16 hours of CPD to support accreditation. For the final element of 25 live cases, BSCI stipulate, that from 1st January 2025, you must find a mentor and arrange to attend a Cardiac CT department. At 6-8 cases per visit, expect to visit a department on at least 4-5 sessions. 

Why should I apply for Bradford course rather than another one? The Bradford Cardiac CT course is run by the NHS for the NHS. Our ethos is to expand Cardiac CT within the NHS, 'the Bradford way'. Our course is unique in providing live acquisition within a Cardiac CT department.

What are Live Cases? Being present at the acquisition of live cases allows you to interact with all elements of Cardiac CT acquistion and is the best way to watch and understand the acquisition process. Clearly this cannot be obtained in a hotel setting and requires time for an onsite presence.

What is the course fee for? The Bradford Cardiac CT course is a not for personal profit course. Funds are used to enable non-consultant NHS staff to attend courses and specialty meetings in the UK and abroad. Our course fee is tranparently published on the website, we are in Yorkshire.

The course is so cheap, is it any good? We minimise costs by running the course on hospital premises with no hotel fees to pay. Funds are collected into a hospital account and staff are paid only for the work they do. Any surplus goes to funding non-consultant NHS staff education and is managed by the departments General Manager. Our primary aim is to expand doing cardiac CT  'the Bradford way'.

Is there car parking? There is limited Pay and Display parking at the Bradford Royal Infirmary. This usually costs £8 per day. Otherwise there is on-street parking, but be aware of residential parking zones. You can not park in Staff Parking Zones. At present, BTH Estates provide free parkign permits for course delegates.

Is there accommodation near by? There may be very basic Hospital accommodation on enquiry when you register. Most hotel accommodation is in central Bradford and you will likely need to use public transport to get to and from the hospital. Several candidates have recommended Holiday Inn Express near Forster train station and Hollywood Bowl in the city centre.This may allow delegates to share commuting costs at their own arrangement.

What about meals? Food is important to us! We provide lunch on Saturday and Sunday, also limitless tea, Tassimo coffee, soft drinks, biscuits, sweets and fruit all day, everyday. Lunch on Monday and Tuesday are available from the hospital canteen, M&S foodhall and Costa in the concourse, or bring your own. We have our course dinner on Monday evening, a Bradford curry of course. You will find evening meals plentiful in Bradford city centre, for example at Bradford Broadway. All course food is halal.

Where is the course held? The course is held in the Radioogy Seminar Room, upstairs from the CT department at Bradford Royal Infirmary, BD9 6RJ. The room is kept locked when the course is not running. You will get instruction near the time of the course.

How many candidates do you take? We limit the course to 12 candidates each time. This allows the teachers to give hgh quality instruction and controls the numbers of candidates in the scan room to optimise participation within a small group environment.

Will I get my own workstation? Each candidates gets their own individual workstation. This means that when you are working through workstation cases, you really work through 150 cases on your own. You do not have to share the mouse and 100% of your time is spent learning how to use the software and read cases.

Do I need level 1 before coming on your course? Level 1 experience is not a prerequisite of the course and is not a prerequisite for BSCI accrediatiton at Level 2. Most delegates coming for a level 2 course will have had some exposure to cardiac CT and know that they wish to pursue training at this level.

What software do you use? We use Canon's Vitrea software for Coroanry anlysis. You do not need any software experience, we will teach you how to use Vitrea. You must have basic mousse handling skills and basic understandign of cardiac anatomy. Any cross sectional reviewing skills would be usseful. 

What previous experience do I need to analyse Cardiac CT? You should be a health professional with some exposure to cardiac CT and be at a stage where you are going to begin cardiac CT. 

When in my training should I do this course? You should be advanced in your training and/or likely to be able to use your skills within 1-2 years for the course. BSCI requiresd you to register your acccreditation within 2 years of the course, so you should be reporting cardiac CT soon after attending. There is no point doing the course too early if you are unable to maintain a minimum level of reporting to support your application.