James Beattie has had a long interest in heart failure. He was Clinical Lecturer in Cardiovascular Medicine at the University of Birmingham and was appointed Consultant Cardiologist at Heartlands Hospital in 1990. For about 15 years he has had an interest in palliative care for heart failure and for the past 3 years has been a National Clinical Lead for the NHS Heart Improvement Programme promoting the development of such services across England. He is a member of the Circulatory Forum of the National Council for Palliative Care and the Department of Health End of Life Care Strategy Group.