Heart, Artery & Lung Testing & HeartPLAN
Dr Dighton was also one of the first cardiologist to use cardiac ultrasound in this country, working as he did ,
with Dr Aubrey Leatham, on the generation and physiology of heart sounds. At that time Dr Dighton
developed techniques to investigate the automatic pacemaker control mechanisms of the heart (the
autonomic nervous system ) which helped differentiate those who had ‘normal’ slow beats from those who
needed a pacemaker. He is published researcher on these topics.
Dr Dighton now has 40 years of experience in clinical cardiology, electrophysiology (the electrical study
of the heart), pacemaker implantation and cardiac catheterisation.
For 10 years has pioneered the place of finding carotid artery atheroma in the very early detection of coronary
artery disease and continues to practice cardiology from the centre he developed with Noreen Connolly
in 2001 (Cardiac Centre, Loughton). He has published two books aimed at the public understanding
of heart disease and its early detection. BUPA can happily ignore all of the above because Dr Dighton
has not fulfilled their criterion of having held an NHS consultant post! They have upset a few BUA patients and
saved themselves quite a lot of money by no longer having to re-imburse Dr Dighton’s fees. Since Loughton
Clinic has a list of 15,000 patients who may now choose not to join BUPA, they may have cut of their nose to
spite their face. 5000 families paying £1000 a year = £5 million pounds per annum of potentially lost income!
BUPA’s action to remove Dr Dighton from their specialist fails to recognise his long clinical
and research experience that few NHS consultants can match. Nevertheless, they are correct - he has never
held an NHS consultant post. He owns and runs a private Cardiac Centre to international research
standards. Few, if any other cardiologists in this country have committed themselves to full-time private
practice for this long (36 years) and to this degree. He says: “My rather disappointed patients
who are BUPA subscribers wonder whether BUPA is supporting the NHS, or them and private practice”.
with Dr Aubrey Leatham, on the generation and physiology of heart sounds. At that time Dr Dighton
developed techniques to investigate the automatic pacemaker control mechanisms of the heart (the
autonomic nervous system ) which helped differentiate those who had ‘normal’ slow beats from those who
needed a pacemaker. He is published researcher on these topics.
Dr Dighton now has 40 years of experience in clinical cardiology, electrophysiology (the electrical study
of the heart), pacemaker implantation and cardiac catheterisation.
For 10 years has pioneered the place of finding carotid artery atheroma in the very early detection of coronary
artery disease and continues to practice cardiology from the centre he developed with Noreen Connolly
in 2001 (Cardiac Centre, Loughton). He has published two books aimed at the public understanding
of heart disease and its early detection. BUPA can happily ignore all of the above because Dr Dighton
has not fulfilled their criterion of having held an NHS consultant post! They have upset a few BUA patients and
saved themselves quite a lot of money by no longer having to re-
spite their face. 5000 families paying £1000 a year = £5 million pounds per annum of potentially lost income!
BUPA’s action to remove Dr Dighton from their specialist fails to recognise his long clinical
and research experience that few NHS consultants can match. Nevertheless, they are correct -
standards. Few, if any other cardiologists in this country have committed themselves to full-
who are BUPA subscribers wonder whether BUPA is supporting the NHS, or them and private practice”.
BUPA and Dr DIGHTON