Professional profile
Dr Harkness qualified in Glasgow in 1994. After 3 years of research in heart failure, he helped initiate the pilot heart failure liaison service in Glasgow. His specialist training was in London (University College London and the Royal Free Hospital). During this time, he worked with the British Heart Foundation to promote heart failure nurse services throughout the country.
He was appointed as Consultant Cardiologist in Colchester Hospital in 2006. He had dual accreditation in Cardiology and General Internal Medicine. His main specialist interest is in advanced echocardiography (stress echo, transthoracic and transoesphageal). His expertise includes the management of angina, heart failure, hypertension, valvular heart disease and arrhythmias. He performs coronary angiography, permanent pacemaker implantation and complex echocardiography at Colchester Hospital and the Essex Cardiothoracic Centre in Basildon.
On appointment, he took the clinical lead in heart failure, echocardiography and hypertension. In April 2010, he became the lead cardiologist for Colchester Hospital. He is a member of the working party for patient safety for the hospital. He has helped develop close links with primary care and mentors a GP with a special interest in cardiology.
In November 2010, he attained Level 2 accreditation in CT Angiography and is developing this service locally.
Hospital and Trust activities
Lead Cardiologist for the Trust
Member of the Patient Safety Committee
Professional affiliations and memberships
- Member of The British Cardiovascular Society and The European Society of Cardiology
- Founder Member of the British Society for Heart Failure
- Member of The British Society of Echocardiography, The American Society of Echocardiography and The European Association of Echocardiography
- Member of The Society of Cardiovascular Computer Tomography and The British Society of Cardiovascular Imaging
Web links
Personal web links
Personal pictures
Click on an image for a description.
The cardiac nurse specialists at Colchester Hospital running the heart failure service and Dr Allan Harkness, lead consultant cardiologist and clinical lead for heart failure
