Professor Andrew Bradbury BSc, MB ChB Honours, MD, MBA, FRCSEd

Andrew Bradbury

Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences
Sampson Gamgee Professor of Vascular Surgery and Director of Quality Assurance and Enhancement

Contact details

Address
Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences
Department of Vascular Surgery
Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust
Netherwood House, Solihull Hospital
Lode Lane, Birmingham
B91 2LJ, UK

As the Sampson Gamgee Professor of Vascular Surgery, Professor Bradbury leads the delivery of an innovative, evidence-based, high quality vascular and endovascular academic surgical service for both arterial and venous disease at the Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust (HEFT). He also undertakes clinical and basic science research in arterial and venous disease

As College Director of Quality Assurance and Enhancement (QAE) Professor Bradbury oversees under- and post-graduate teaching in the College of Medical and Dental Sciences and University Colleges.

Qualifications

  • Master in Business Administration (MBA) with Distinction, University of Birmingham Business School, 2005
  • Doctorate of Medicine (MD), University of Edinburgh, 1992
  • Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (FRCSEd), 1992
  • MBChB with Honours, 1985, Edinburgh
  • BSc Bacteriology, First Class, 1983, Edinburgh

Biography

Edinburgh Medical School 1979-1985:

  • BSc Bacteriology, First Class, 1983, Edinburgh
  • MBChB with Honours, 1985, Edinburgh
  • Mouat Prize and Gold Medal for the Practice of Physic 1985
  • Annandale Gold Medal in Surgery 1985
  • Syme Surgical Scholar, University of Edinburgh, 1988-1990

Recent appointments

  • Senior Lecturer and Honorary Consultant in Vascular Surgery, University Department of Surgery, Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh, 1996–2000
  • Director, Research & Development, Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust, 2002-06
  • Chair, Curriculum Development and Implementation Committee, University of Birmingham, April 2005 – July 2008 (formerly Deputy and then Acting Chair, 2004-2005)
  • Associate Dean for Medical Education, The Medical School, University of Birmingham, 2005-2006
  • Education Dean, The Medical School, University of Birmingham, 2006-08

Current Appointments

  • Sampson Gamgee Professor of Vascular Surgery, University of Birmingham, since January 2000
  • Consultant Vascular and Endovascular Surgeon, Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust, since January 2000
  • Director of Quality Assurance and Enhancement, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, since August 2008

Teaching

Quality Assurance and Enhancement

Professor Bradbury was appointed to the post of Director of Quality Assurance and Enhancement (QAE) for the College of Medical and Dental Sciences (MDS) in August 2008 when the new College structure was first introduced at the University of Birmingham.

In that role Professor Bradbury has been responsible for overseeing the delivery of QAE across all of the College’s under- and post-graduate programmes; namely MBChB, BDS, BMedSci, Nursing and Physiotherapy, PGT, and the taught elements of PGR.

The main QAE instrument is the Birmingham Integrated QAE System (BIQAES).

Other inputs include the National Student Survey, the Internal Student Survey, the Student Representative System, and the External Examiner systems.

Professor Bradbury and the College QAE team also work closely with:

  1. Professional, Statutory and Regulatory Bodies (PSRB’s) such as the GMC, GDC, NMC, HPC.
  2. Loco-regional NHS bodies (e.g. primary and secondary care NHS Trusts, Strategic Health Authority).
  3. West Midlands Deanery.
  4. Student Representatives within the College.
  5. Sabbatical Officers from the Guild of Students.

As well as work for MDS, Professor Bradbury undertakes QAE activities in the other four Colleges; for example, Chairing School Quality (SQR) and Collaborative Provision reviews.

Professor Bradbury Chairs the College QAE Committee and is a member of:

  1. College Teaching and Learning Committee.
  2. College Board.
  3. University QAE Committee.
  4. University Programme and Approval Committee.

Professor Bradbury also:

  1. Chairs the College MDS Fitness to Practice and Misconduct panels.
  2. Undertakes Trust Monitoring Visits for the MBChB programme.

Professor Bradbury has acted as Personal Mentor for MBChB students for several years.

Education Delivery

At Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust (HEFT) Professor Bradbury is a:

  • Firm Lead for 3rd and 5th year MBChB students.
  • Senior Academy Tutor for the new 4th year MBChB (commences June 2012).
  • Supervisor, Student Project 2 (MBChB).

At the University, Professor Bradbury undertakes:

  • Lectures on Vascular Anatomy to MBChB students.
  • Small group tutorial (SGT) session for MSc in Functional and Clinical Anatomy.

Postgraduate supervision

Professor Bradbury is currently supervising four trainee surgeons undertaking research towards the award of MD by Thesis.

Research

Professor Bradbury’s research falls into three main areas:

  •  The HTA-funded Bypass Versus Angioplasty in Severe Ischaemia of the Leg (BASIL) trial.
  •  Basic science work looking at changes in inflammatory cytokines and haemostasis following interventions for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA).
  •  Ultrasound guided foam sclerotherapy (UGFS) for the treatment of lower limb venous disease.

BASIL trial and other research into lower limb peripheral arterial disease (PAD)

  • The BASIL trial was a randomised controlled trial (RCT) of surgical versus endovascular revascularisation for critical limb ischaemia (CLI) conducted over almost 10 years in 452 patients from 27 UK hospitals. The interim results were published in the Lancet in 2005 and the main final results published in 2010.
  • Dedicated supplement of Journal of Vascular Surgery which contains five original papers as well as commentaries (please see Publications section below).
  • Professor Bradbury has been invited to present the results of the BASIL trial at many national and international conferences (Europe, North and South America, Middle East, Far East, South Africa, Australia).
  • Professor Bradbury is a full (and the only non-US) member of the US Society of Vascular Surgery (SVS) Critical Limb Ischaemia (CLI ) working group.
  • The US Society of Vascular Surgery CLI group, in collaboration with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), have used the BASIL (and other RCT) trial data to inform the development of Objective Performance Goals that can be used in the regulatory approval of new technologies and devices for the treatment of critical limb ischaemia in the US (for further information, please see 2009 publication on OPG, listed below).
  • Professor Bradbury is an Expert Adviser on the National Institute of Clinical and Health Excellence (NICE) Guideline Development Group for Lower Limb Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD). This NICE GDG has relied heavily on the BASIL data when formulating recommendations on clinically and cost-effective treatment strategies for CLI.
  • Analysis of the BASIL data set continues, particularly with respect to the health economics data.
  • Professor Bradbury is also involved in novel health economic modelling studies as part of the NICE PAD GDG Health Economics Sub-group.

Basic science AAA research

  • Professor Bradbury is undertaking basic science research with Professor Gerard Nash and Dr Ed Rainger at the University of Birmingham looking at novel biomarkers in patients with vascular disease that might predict disease progression and so help better select patients for vascular and endovascular interventions.
  • As part of this work Professor Bradbury’s group has secured a patent (“Interleukin (IL)-1a as Biomarker for AAA”, US patent application US12/778230) (IP and Licensing, Alta Innovations, Birmingham Research Park, B15 2SQ) for Interleukin (IL)-1a as a novel biomarker for AAA.

Clinical AAA research

  • Professor Bradbury is Chairman of the Trial Steering Committee for the HTA funded (HTA Project 09/91/39) “The development of an algorithm to calculate in individual patients with abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) when repair is indicated to improve survival”.
  • This is a collaboration lead by Professor Charles McCollum at the University of Manchester (Surgery, Biostatistics and Health Economics) that also involves the School of Health and Related Research (ScHARR) at the University of Sheffield, MRC Biostatistics Unit in Cambridge, Vascular Governance North West (VGNW) database, and the Vascular Society of Great Britain and Ireland.

Ultrasound guided foam sclerotherapy (UGFS)

  • Professor Bradbury started the UGFS programme at HEFT in 2001 as part of the Varisolve European Trial and a member of the Varisolve® European Phase III Investigators Group.
  • View full details 
  • Since then, Professor Bradbury has been the senior author on a number of papers in peer-reviewed surgical journals describing outcomes from this novel technique.
  • At HEFT, UGFS is now the preferred alternative to surgery for over 90% of patients presenting with lower limb venous disease to the academic vascular surgery unit.
  • Professor Bradbury has been invited to speak on, and demonstrate, UGFS at many national and international (Europe, North and South America, Middle East, Far East, South Africa, Australia) meetings, workshops and clinics.

Other venous research and academic activity

  • Professor Bradbury is a Founding Member and current Board Member of the European Venous Forum (EVF) and in that capacity has been part of the Faculty organizing the First (2010) and Second (October 2011) EVF Workshops.
  • View full details 
  • The Second EVF Workshop was held in Vienna in October 2011 and attracted over 100 vascular specialists from 36 countries (Europe, Middle East, Far East, Africa, Australasia, South and North America). The Third EVF Workshop will be held in Cyprus in November 2012 and continues to enjoy strong industry support.
  • Professor Bradbury’s expertise in venous disease and, in particular UGFS, has led NICE to appoint him as an Expert Adviser to their Guideline Development Group on Varicose Veins and Chronic venous Insufficiency. The Guidelines are due to be published in 2014 and will have a major impact upon the commissioning of services for lower limb venous disease in the UK.
  • Professor Bradbury has been appointed by the Union Internationale de Phlebologie to the Faculty of an International Consensus Group on Venous Haemodynamics.
  • Professor Bradbury is also currently President of the UK Venous Forum of the Royal Society of Medicine (RSM) (2010-2012).

Publications

Professor Bradbury:

  1. Continues to publish regularly peer-reviewed papers in high impact scientific journals (list of recent publications below).
  2. Is currently co-editing the new (6th Edition) of Principles and Practice of Surgery (UK and International Editions). This is a very popular text among medical students (it is the preferred text for MBChB students at University of Birmingham) and young surgeons embarking upon their post-graduate surgical training.

Co-authors a number of chapters in under- and post-graduate text-books. For example, Professor Bradbury is currently working on chapters for new Editions of Davidson’s Principles and Practice of Medicine and MacLeods Clinical Examination.

Other activities

  • Elected, President, Venous Forum of the Royal Society of Medicine (2010-2012).
  • Member, Academic Board, Royal Society of Medicine (2010-2012).
  • Elected, Board of European Venous Forum (2011-2016).
  • Elected, Board of Examiners of European Board for Vascular Surgery (2011-2014).
  • Appointed, NICE guideline development group (GDG) for lower limb peripheral arterial disease (PAD) (2010-2012)
  • Appointed, NICE guideline development group (GDG) for lower limb venous disease (2011-2013)
  • Appointed, DVLA Expert Panel (2004 on-going)
  • Review papers for a wide range of journals including (list not exhaustive): Journal of Vascular Surgery, British Journal of Surgery, European Journal of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, British Medical Journal
  • Review grants for a wide range of bodies including (list not exhaustive): Royal College of Surgeons, HTA, NIHR, Swiss National Science Foundation, The Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development (ZonMw)
  • Senior External Examiner, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman 2008-2010.
  • External Examiner, School of Medicine, Keele University (appointed for 2012/13 academic session, for 4 years)
  • Union Internationale de Phlebologie (UIP), Expert Adviser, International Consensus Group on Venous Haemodynamics (2011-2013)

Publications

Yates CM, Abdelhamid M, Adam DJ, Nash GB, Bradbury AW, Rainger GE. Endovascular aneurysm repair reverses the increased titer and the inflammatory activity of interleukin-1α in the serum of patients with abdominal aortic aneurysm. Journal of Vascular Surg. 2011; 54(2):497-503.

Darvall KA, Bate GR, Adam DJ, Silverman SH, Bradbury AW. Duplex ultrasound outcomes following ultrasound-guided foam sclerotherapy of symptomatic recurrent great saphenous varicose veins. European Journal of Vascular & Endovascular Surgery. 2011; 42(1):107-14.

Berridge D, Bradbury AW, Davies AH, Gohel M, Nyamekye I, Renton S, Rudarakanchana N, Stansby G on behalf of the Venous Forum of the Royal Society of Medicine, Recommendations for the referral and treatment of patients with lower limb chronic venous insufficiency. Phlebology. 2011; 26(3):91-3.

Stansby G, Mister R, Fowkes G, Roughton M, Nugara F, Brittenden J, Bradbury A,Ashley S, Shearman C, Hannon R, Flather M. High risk of peripheral arterial disease in the United Kingdom: 2-year results of a prospective registry. Prospective Registry and Evaluation of Peripheral Arterial Risks, Events and Distribution Investigators. Angiology. 2011; 62(2):111-8.

Darvall KA, Bate GR, Adam DJ, Silverman SH. Bradbury AW. Duplex ultrasound outcomes following ultrasound-guided foam sclerotherapy of symptomatic primary great saphenous varicose veins. European Journal of Vascular & Endovascular Surgery. 2010; 40(4):534-9.

Bradbury AW. Epidemiology and aetiology of C4-6 disease. [Review] Phlebology. 2010; 25 Suppl 1:2-8.

Davies AH, Berridge DC, Bradbury AW, Stansby G. Venous INtervention (VEIN) 2 Project: Introduction. Phlebology. 2010; 25 Suppl 1:1.

Pang KH, Bate GR, Darvall KA, Adam DJ, Bradbury AW. Healing and recurrence rates following ultrasound-guided foam sclerotherapy of superficial venous reflux in patients with chronic venous ulceration. European Journal of Vascular & Endovascular Surgery. 2010; 40(6):790-5.

View all publications in research portal