sub-specialities
- Breathlessness
- Chest pain
- High blood pressure (hypertension)
- Heart valve disease
- Heart rhythm disturbance
- Heart failure
- Post-COVID syndrome (long COVID)
- Aviation cardiology
- Exercise induced symptoms and cardiovascular exercise training
Training & Background
| Qualifications: | BM. BCh MA (Cantab). DPhil (Oxon) |
| Year first qualified: | 2005 |
| GMC number: | 6128244 |
| Clinic times: | By appointment |
Dr Holdsworth graduated in medicine in 2005 from The University of Oxford. He holds a PhD from the same University, in exercise physiology and metabolism.
Cardiology was Dr Holdsworth’s passion from the start of his career. He trained in Oxford, Bath and London and gained additional medical experience on operations with the Armed Forces. He joined the GMC’s specialist register for cardiology and general medicine in 2018.
Along with general cardiology and cardiac imaging, Dr Holdsworth takes a particular interest in aviation medicine. He holds a Diploma in Aviation Medicine and has extensive experience in aviation cardiology.
This led to him serving as clinical lead for the UK military tri-service aviation medicine unit. He was secretary of the European Society of Cardiology aviation task force and was clinical lead for the UK armed forces clinic, for all personnel recovering from COVID.
He leads the diagnostic cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) service in Oxford. CPET is a key investigation for unexplained shortness of breath, exercise limitation, and mixed heart and lung disease.
Dr Holdsworth is highly skilled in cardiac diagnosis and treatment, although the way he offers this care is just as important to him. He believes that treating people as the individuals they are is fundamental to effective medical care.
Research & Teaching
Dr Holdsworth has published more than 40 peer reviewed papers. He is a senior lecturer in the academic department of military medicine at the Royal Centre of Defence Medicine. At the University of Oxford, he is the exercise theme lead for the degree in human applied physiology.
He supports a number of specialist organisations for military and aviation medicine and is a College Lecturer at St Hugh’s College, Oxford.
Professional Memberships
- Royal College of Physicians
- European Society of Cardiology
- British Society of Echocardiography
