Dr Matthias Schmitt

I am senior Consultant Cardiologist with 30 years' clinical (25 years NHS) experience.

I qualified from the Goethe University in Frankfurt/Main in Germany in 1995 (MD in 1996) and subsequently held junior doctor positions in Medicine (Frankfurt), cardiothoracic surgery (Freiburg) and cardiology (Ludwigshafen) before immigrating to the UK in 1997.

I undertook a further Junior doctor rotation in Blackpool (1997-1999) gaining my membership exam (MRCP London) in 1999. I subsequently undertook a PhD at the Wales Heart Research Institute in Cardiff investigating the effects of natriuretic peptides on venous capacitance in Health and heart failure (Winner of the BCS / Cordis International research award) and thereafter completed my cardiology training in the North-West rotation, including a two year out of programme cardiac imaging training fellowship at the Glenfield Hospital in Leicester (2006-2008).

I was appointed Consultant Cardiologist at Wythenshawe Hospital in 2008, now part of Manchester University NHS Hospital Trust, where I set up Cardiac MRI (2008) and subsequently Cardiac CT services (2015) leading the service until my NHS retirement in August 2022. I have been research active throughout my career publishing some 180 original manuscripts in high impact factor journals including JACC, Circulation, EHJ, Lancet and Nature Medicine. I continued to be a high-volume cardiac cross-sectional reporter (>1,000 exams/year) and my second opinion is frequently thought by my peers and I am an expert opinion leader in medico-legal cases.

My specific expertise is the non-invasive assessment of cardiovascular symptoms specifically breathlessness and chest pains. I love the diagnostic challenge and my interest include the assessment of primary and acquired heart muscle disease, the imaging and functional assessment of coronary artery disease, optimising and personalising risk stratification and the development of cardiovascular therapies and imaging based biomarkers to enhance personalised medicine and improve cardiovascular outcomes. Furthermore, I have sub-specialist interest and expertise in Cardio-oncology (assessing cardiovascular disease and risk during and after cancer therapy, I have written the chapter on Cardio-oncology in the EACVI (Oxford) Textbook of Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance) and Cardio-rheumatology (assessing cardiovascular disease and risk of patients with autoimmune inflammatory conditions).

As an NHS Consultant I was the LNC chair at Wythenshawe Hospital and the first elected medical staff Governor for Manchester Foundation Trust. I served as an elected Board member for both the British Society of Cardiovascular MRI (where I was the co-lead for clinical standards) as well as the British Society of Cardiac CT (BSCCT/BSCI) where I was the research lead.

I am Level 3 accredited for both cardiac CT and cardiac MRI and offer my services at Spire Manchester, Spire Cheshire (Thursday am CTCA service), Alexandra Hospital (Wednesday am) and at the Alliance Medical Unit at Wythenshawe Hospital (evening appointments Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and selected Saturdays).