Pharmacy Network Forum - Cardiovascular Disease- Dr Sarwar

Cardiovascular by Dr Sarwar

This evening will focus on the principles of blood pressure and managing patients with suboptimal readings in line with current guidance and how to identify those at risk of cardiovascular disease .

What you will learn:

• Understanding the Current NICE guidance surrounding blood pressure and how it can be applied

• Understanding how to diagnose Hypertension

• Patient education points

• Developing an understanding of the community BP contract

My Biography

Dr Saj Sarwar is a GP in Aston, a busy inner city teaching practice. He is a GP trainer and mentor, working actively in the i3 Ladywood PCN and in Out of Hours Palliative care.

He has been working as a GP with an interest in anticoagulation and in particular with stroke prevention in AF. He has worked to develop pathways for optimal care and cascade this to health care professionals. He has introduced the TTR as a KPI for the anticoagulation service to ensure pragmatic decision making and assist in appropriate prescribing.

Dr Sarwar has previously worked with Professor Greg Lip to up skill GPs around management of Atrial Fibrillation and stroke prevention. The collaborative working has meant both have been awarded the Academic Science Network award winner for the ‘Excellence in Wellness and Prevention Of Illness award.’

This was in light of developing and promoting the simple Birmingham 3 step approach for dealing with reducing stroke risk in AF patients, and the close working relationship between the trust and the CCG. This work has worked as a local initiative but has received global recognition, with culmination into a publication in the European Heart Journal.

His role as West Birmingham CVD lead has allowed for the Long Term Plan objectives with the National Cardiovascular strategy to be implemented at practice floor level, utilising enterprising workings with the PCN. This has encompassed the ABC work stream (Atrial fibrillation, Blood pressure and Cholesterol management) as a quality improvement programme.

Dr Sarwar is keen on innovation and is working with the West Midlands Academic Health Science Network. He has a current project addressing digital technology with the use of remote monitoring to improve blood pressure diagnosis and management.

He has recently taken up the role of the Primary Care Clinical Lead Executive for the Black Country and West Birmingham. This has focused on addressing the inequalities of CVD disease with extension of the ABC to ABCDE (utilising D for digital technology and E for Ejection Fraction for Heart Failure).

The combined working of the various projects will help improve adverse cardiovascular outcomes for patients’ in his CCG footprint, with good practice being rolled out further afield.