Professor Timothy Betts
Qualifications
MB ChB, FRCP, MD
GMC number: 3541368
Practising since: 1991
Specialties
Cardiology
Consultation times
- Tuesday PM
- Ad Hoc Clinics available on request
- Overview
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About
Professor Betts is a Consultant in Cardiology and Cardiac Electrophysiology at the Oxford Private Heart and Lung Centre at Nuffield Health Oxford, The Manor Hospital. He also works at the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust.
Professor Betts has been a Consultant
since 2004 and is also an Associate Professor in the Oxford University
Department of Cardiovascular Medicine
https://www.rdm.ox.ac.uk/people/timothy-betts
Cardiac electrophysiology is the study of heart rhythm disorders. Professor Betts frequently sees patients who have palpitations, irregular heart beats, atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, supraventricular tachycardia, ectopics or ‘skipped’ beats, syncope and black-outs. He also specialises in ways to reduce the risk of stroke from atrial fibrillation.
He regularly performs catheter ablation. This is a minimally invasive technique used to treat a range of heart rhythm disorders including atrial fibrillation, flutter, SVTs and ventricular tachycardia. He also performs internal and external cardioverisions. He also implants pacemakers, ICDs and cardiac resynchronisation devices.
Professor Betts is one of the few cardiologists in the country who has the expertise to implant left atrial appendage occlusion devices. This new technology is for patients with atrial fibrillation who are at high risk of stroke and cannot take anticoagulants (blood thinning medication) - or for those in whom anticoagulants have failed.
Professor Betts is on the National Cardiac Societies Committee for the European Heart Rhythm Association and is the left atrial appendage occlusion representative on the British Cardiovascular Intervention Society Structural Intervention Working Group as well as being a member of the BCS, BHRA and EHRA.
Contact
PA email : tim.betts@nuffieldhealth.com
Other interests
- Heart rhythm disorders
- Atrial fibrillation
- Palpitations
- Blackouts
- Pacemaker/ICDs
- Percutaneous left atrial appendage occlusion to prevent stroke in atrial fibrillation
Personal interests
Outside
of his cardiology practice, Professor Betts enjoys running, cycling and being
rubbish at playing the guitar and drums. He has run 100 mile non-stop along the
Thames Path, completed the Comrades Ultramarathon (uphill) in South Africa and
run 7 marathons in 7 days coast to coast across England.
Treatments and tests offered by Professor Timothy Betts at Nuffield Health
- Echocardiogram
- Electrocardiogram (ECG)
- Event monitor
- Implantable cardioverter defibrillator and cardiac resynchronisation therapy
- Assessment of all Aspects of Cardiology
- Cardiovascular risk profile
- Cardiac electrophysiology study and catheter ablation
- Transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE)
- Pacemakers
- Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM)
Locations Professor Timothy Betts works with
Related experience
Research
Another emerging technology that Professor Betts is investigating is the leadless pacemaker. Several models are being trialed, one is no bigger than an antibiotic pill (10 times smaller than existing pacemakers). It is guided by a catheter through a vein and implanted into the wall of the heart. He is an executive member of the NHS Cardiovascular Advisory Group, which studies the evidence on the effectiveness and safety of this and other new devices before they are introduced on the NHS.
He has written dozens of peer reviewed journal articles and is co-author of the Oxford Hand book of Cardiac Electrophysiology and Catheter Ablation, which is recommended by the British Medical Association as one of the best books for teaching this specialist area to cardiologists.
His research interests include way to make ablation of atrial fibrillation safer and more effective as well as new and novel techniques to improve cardiac resynchronisation therapy for heart failure.
Memberships
- Fellow Royal College of Physicians (UK)
- British Heart Rhythm Society
- British Cardiovascular Society
- British Medical Association
Other posts held
- Consultant Cardiologist and Electrophysiologist, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust
Insurers Professor Timothy Betts works with
Professor Timothy Betts works with the following private medical insurance providers:
- Aviva Health
- AXA Health
- AXA - Global Healthcare
- Benenden Health
- Bupa
- Bupa On Demand
- Cigna
- CS Healthcare
- Exeter Family Friendly
- Freedom Health
- HealthFund
- SecureHealth
- Simplyhealth
- Vitality Health (Pru Health)
- WPA
- Police Mutual
Declaration
Professor Timothy Betts does not hold a share or financial interest in this hospital, another Nuffield Health hospital or the company.
Professor Timothy Betts does not have a share or financial interest in equipment used at this hospital or another Nuffield Health hospital.
Professor Timothy Betts does not hold any paid advisory role(s) at this hospital or on behalf of Nuffield Health.