Contact Health is a family-run business established in 2014 by CEO Colin Nicholson, initially working solely in collaboration with the NHS.
Now, while continuing to support the NHS, we also work with self-funding patients wishing to arrange their own healthcare tests, as well as with independent healthcare centres and private healthcare insurance providers.
Whether collaborating with other service providers or directly with patients, excellent care remains our top priority.
With many years of experience behind them, our hardworking, highly-skilled team includes fully qualified and accredited clinicians who keep up to date with the latest diagnostic technologies and techniques to ensure best practice – even our management team has extensive clinical skills!
Initially starting as a radiographer within the NHS, Colin has over 20 years’ experience in healthcare.
Whilst working in the Bristol Heart Institute he gained expertise in cardiology with a particular focus on Echocardiography and congenital heart defects.
From there he founded and grew Contact Health and has gained a wealth of knowledge in providing and improving healthcare for all.
Communications Director
Abbie started her career as a healthcare assistant in 2002, progressing into radiography and then specialising in medical ultrasound. She holds a first-class BSc (Hons) in Radiography, along with a Postgraduate Diploma in General Abdominal Ultrasound and Gynaecology.
Experienced in office management systems and customer relations, Abbie also holds a mental health first aid title, and is a well-being advocate and holistic massage therapist. Her interpersonal skills are a great asset to the company.
Kate began her career as a radiographer in 2004 and went on to specialise in ultrasound, completing a Postgraduate Diploma in General Medical and Obstetric Ultrasound. She has a Postgraduate Certificate in Musculoskeletal Ultrasound and has been performing diagnostic and interventional musculoskeletal (MSK) ultrasound for more than fifteen years, including MSK steroid injections.
During her 17 years in the NHS, Kate held various management roles, including Principal Musculoskeletal Sonographer, and gained a significant amount of management and HR experience.
Kate now leads the MSK ultrasound service at Contact Health, with consultant support when required, whilst maintaining secondary care clinical practice. She is an Associate Lecturer in Diagnostic Radiography at the University of the West of England, where she teaches and assesses MSK ultrasound. In addition, Kate audits MSK imaging for independent healthcare providers, offering support, feedback and suggestions to the sonographers, and participates in audit meetings.
Cardiology
Dr Thomas was appointed as Consultant Cardiologist & Cardiac Electrophysiologist at the Bristol Heart Institute in 2009, and practises at the Spire Bristol Hospital. He trained in all aspects of heart rhythm care in London (MBBS, FRCP) and Cambridge (PhD). Dr Thomas is also a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology.
Dr Thomas has a particular interest in the treatment of heart rhythm problems such as atrial fibrillation and undertakes several hundred ablation procedures per year. However, he also believes in lifestyle modifications and non-drug approaches wherever possible. Dr Thomas understands how worrying heart rhythm problems can be and is very sympathetic to anxious patients!
In addition to cardiology, Dr Thomas has a special interest in Critical Care, and he is an active volunteer doctor with Great Western Air Ambulance Service. He gained the Diploma in Immediate Medical Care, Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh in 2017.
Dr Thomas’ areas of interest include: palpitations; lightheadedness; funny turns; dizzy spells; atrial fibrillation; AF; atrial flutter; palpitations; supraventricular tachycardia; SVT; Wolf Parkinson White Syndrome; WPW; cardiac electrophysiology; implantable devices / device therapy; pacemakers; implantable defibrillator; cardiac resynchronisation therapy; CRT; syncope; fainting; arrhythmias; autonomic disorders; vasovagal syncope.
Cardiology
Dr Duncan graduated from the University of Cambridge in 1998. He has been working in Cardiology since 2002. He completed specialist training in Cardiac Electrophysiology at St Bartholomew’s Hospital, London and L’Hopital Haut Leveque, Bordeaux, France. He was appointed as a Consultant at the Bristol Heart Institute in 2011, and practises at the Spire Bristol Hospital.
Dr Duncan’s areas of interest include:
Arrhythmia management, including palpitations, atrial fibrillation (AF), atrial flutter, supraventricular tachycardia (SVT), bradycardia and ventricular tachycardia; Catheter ablation
Syncope (blackouts); Pacemakers; Defibrillators
Sports cardiology; Cardiac screening
Family screening for inherited (genetic) cardiac disease
Cardiology
Dr Nisbet is a consultant cardiologist and electrophysiologist (heart rhythm specialist) and holds her NHS post at the Bristol Heart Institute. Her private practice is based at the Spire Hospital Bristol. She offers treatment for all types of cardiac rhythm abnormalities, ablation of simple and complex cardiac arrhythmias (palpitations, atrial fibrillation (AF), atrial flutter, supraventricular tachycardia (SVT), ectopic beats, ventricular tachycardia (VT)), investigation and treatment of dizzy spells and fainting, plus pacemaker implantation including implantable cardioverter defibrillators. Dr Nisbet’s particular expertise is in ablation of complex atrial arrhythmias including atrial fibrillation and arrhythmias in adults with congenital heart disease. Dr Nisbet also offers assessment and treatment of patients and families affected by sudden unexplained cardiac death (SADS/SUDS), and inherited cardiac arrhythmias, such as long QT and Brugada syndrome.
Dr Nisbet earned her primary medical qualification at the University of Aberdeen medical school, after which she undertook her cardiology training in Glasgow. During this time, she was awarded a scholarship with the British Heart Foundation, where she focused her research on electrophysiology of the mammalian atrioventricular node, for which she was awarded her Ph.D. in 2008. She later completed further training in cardiac electrophysiology in Glasgow, at the Golden Jubilee National Hospital, in addition to two further years of fellowship in Cardiac Pacing under Professor Jon Kalman at the Royal Melbourne Hospital, Australia.
Upon completion of her training and fellowships, Dr Nisbet was appointed Consultant in 2014 at the Bristol Heart Institute and has since also been an active member of the medical education community. Dr Nisbet regularly partakes in the training and education of future cardiologists, as the Cardiology Training Program Director in Severn Region.
Dr Barman is a full time NHS cardiology consultant with expertise of managing all general cardiology patients. His private practice is based at the Spire Hospital Bristol. Dr Barman completed the Membership of Royal College of Physicians examinations in 2005 and trained in Cardiology in the southwest of England. He was offered a PhD Fellowship by the British Heart Foundation in cardiac electrophysiology which he completed from University of Bristol in 2013. After completion of his specialist training in cardiac electrophysiology Dr Barman was appointed as a full-time substantive consultant at Bristol in 2016. He specializes in investigation and management of all cardiac arrhythmias including catheter ablation using either cryo or radiofrequency energy with the use of electroanatomical mapping. He also implants and extracts cardiac devices such as pacemakers, ICDs-both transvenous and sub-cutaneous and cardiac resynchronisation pacemakers.
Cardiology
Dr Joshi is a Consultant Cardiologist with a wide range of expertise in general cardiology with special interest in coronary artery disease (heart attacks, angina) and valvular heart disease. He specialises in undertaking invasive treatments of heart artery blockages (coronary angioplasty) and has particular expertise in TAVI (transcatheter aortic valve replacement/implantation), one of the newer treatments of aortic stenosis.
Dr Joshi’s post allows him to undertake high volume complex coronary intervention (more than 300 percutaneous coronary interventions a year) and transcatheter aortic valve implantation (more than 50 a year). His primary cardiology training was in Edinburgh, where he undertook his highly successful clinical PhD, followed by training in general and interventional cardiology. After undertaking the BCIS Fellowship in Vancouver Island, Canada, Dr Joshi has been appointed as Consultant Interventional Cardiologist at the University Hospitals Bristol.
Active academically as an honorary senior lecturer at the University of Bristol, Dr Joshi has been awarded the highly competitive Clinical Academic Research Partnership Award from the Medical Research Council.
Dr Joshi believes in empowering patients with current clinical evidence about their condition, so that they can make a well-informed decision about the treatment options available to them.