The inability of the limited workforce of paediatric cardiologists to cope with an ever increasing workload and the need for more paediatricians with some expertise in cardiology to address this problem has been highlighted in this issue by Pushparajah and colleagues.¹ Paediatricians undertaking such a role, whether in district general hospitals or teaching hospitals are likely to be undertaking most of their cardiology practice on their own, potentially placing themselves in a vulnerable position. There is a need to establish clearly the potential roles of these posts for the protection of both doctors and patients. Level of expertise will inevitably vary according to the training and aspirations of individual consultants, but this should not prevent all those involved adhering to certain common standards. The British Congenital Cardiac Association (BCCA) and the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child …