Paediatric cardiologists investigate and treat patients with congenital or acquired heart disease, diseases of cardiac rhythm and conduction, and disturbances of cardiac and circulatory function. The specialty provides a service from foetal life through childhood into adulthood. There is close liaison with paediatrics and its sub-specialties, and with cardiothoracic surgery, adult cardiology, obstetrics, radiology and pathology.

The specialty is well-suited to those who like dealing with the presenting emergency problems in neonates and infants, while working in close contact with the families to achieve rapid improvement and/or cure in most of their patients and to see them through to adulthood. Many of the clinical scenarios faced by paediatric cardiologists require a high level biopsychosocial approach.