Dr Bikash Bhojnagarwala

Dr Bikash Bhojnagarwala qualified in 2000 and brings over 12 years of consultant-level experience in neonatal medicine. His training encompasses broad experience in general paediatrics, community paediatrics, paediatric intensive care (PICU), neonatal intensive care, and retrieval medicine, providing a comprehensive understanding of the entire paediatric age range. He currently serves as Consultant Neonatologist and Lead for Paediatric & Neonatal Cardiology at Medway NHS Foundation Trust. Dr Bhojnagarwala is European-certified in congenital heart disease echocardiography and possesses advanced expertise in integrated neonatal hemodynamics and Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) – including cardiac, lung, and vascular imaging. His dual practice allows for nuanced clinical assessment of complex physiology, congenital heart disease, and cardiorespiratory instability in critically ill infants.

As a service lead, Dr Bhojnagarwala has successfully developed and expanded neonatal and paediatric cardiology pathways, overseen governance, and chaired both Perinatal Mortality Review Tool (PMRT) panels and serious incident investigations. He has spearheaded multiple quality improvement programmes, including initiatives to reduce bronchopulmonary dysplasia, introduce family-integrated ward rounds, and implement POCUS for line placement and respiratory assessment. His earlier experience in general paediatrics and community child health informs a holistic approach to neonatal care, considering long-term outcomes, safeguarding, neurodevelopment, and transition of care. Likewise, experience in PICU and retrieval medicine provides expertise in acute deterioration management, advanced ventilation, transport physiology, and high-pressure decision-making. These combined experiences uniquely position Dr Bhojnagarwala as an expert witness in medico-legal practice, capable of providing balanced, evidence-based opinions on cases involving standards of care, critical illness management, congenital heart disease, hemodynamic instability, respiratory failure, and systemic issues in complex paediatric cases.

Dr Bhojnagarwala is the Lead for Neonatal Services and for Paediatric and Neonatal Cardiology at Medway NHS Foundation Trust, and the NICU Mortality and Morbidity Lead. They chair and contribute to PMRT reviews and Trust-wide governance learning, and are involved in serious incident investigations and Child Death Overview Panel reviews.

Dr Bhojnagarwala's clinical interests span the breadth of neonatal and paediatric care, with a particular focus on neonatal intensive care, paediatric and neonatal cardiology, and congenital heart disease echocardiography, for which he holds European certification. He has a strong interest in the application of Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS), including cardiac, lung, and vascular imaging, and has been instrumental in integrating these techniques into routine clinical practice and governance. A core aspect of his work is neonatal hemodynamics and physiology-guided care, combining advanced echocardiography and POCUS to inform real-time decision-making in critically ill infants. He is also deeply committed to quality improvement in respiratory care, leading initiatives such as “Project BIB” to reduce bronchopulmonary dysplasia. Beyond intensive care, Dr Bhojnagarwala remains engaged in the broader spectrum of paediatrics, including long-term outcomes, safeguarding, neurodevelopment, and family-centred models of care. He maintains a strong interest in governance, education, and the translation of research into practice, with ongoing involvement in national and international trials addressing respiratory management, hemodynamic scoring, and neonatal cardiovascular instability. These interests not only define his clinical practice but also strengthen his expertise in medico-legal work, enabling him to provide evidence-based opinions across a wide range of neonatal and paediatric issues.

Dr Bhojnagarwala’s research interests are focused on improving outcomes for critically ill neonates and encompass a range of areas within neonatal and paediatric cardiology. He actively investigates neonatal hemodynamic assessment and the impact of Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA) scoring on patient outcomes. Furthermore, Dr Bhojnagarwala is involved in research exploring the utility of lung ultrasound in guiding respiratory management and addressing the training needs surrounding neonatal ECG interpretation. He also maintains a strong interest in the importance of parent-infant closeness and the implementation of FiCare principles. Dr Bhojnagarwala is actively involved as a principal or co-investigator in several clinical trials, including DEXTA, HAAPI, and RePHyNe, demonstrating his commitment to translational research.

Dr Bhojnagarwala is actively involved in medical education and training at both the undergraduate and postgraduate levels. He serves as an examiner for the MRCPCH and RCPCH START examinations, and currently holds the position of Clinical Academic Tutor at Kent & Medway Medical School. He is also a certified NLS Instructor and frequently contributes as faculty for national and international workshops focused on Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) and echocardiography. Dr Bhojnagarwala possesses extensive experience in delivering traditional teaching alongside innovative simulation-based training, demonstrating a commitment to fostering the next generation of paediatricians.

Dr Bhojnagarwala has an established publication record demonstrating his commitment to advancing the field of neonatal and paediatric care. Key publications include the SLURP multicentre observational study and a related clinician survey, both forthcoming in the European Journal of Paediatrics in 2025. He also co-authored “Causes and management of pulmonary air leaks,” published in Paediatrics & Child Health in 2012. These publications represent just a selection of his broader scholarly activity, which also includes numerous abstracts presented and published at international conferences such as the Archives of Disease in Childhood, Pediatric Academic Societies, European Pediatric Society, and Journal of Neonatal and Perinatal Studies.

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Dr Bhojnagarwala demonstrates significant leadership experience within both clinical and academic settings. He currently serves as Lead for Neonatal Services and Paediatric & Neonatal Cardiology Services at Medway, and also fulfils the role of NICU Mortality and Morbidity Lead. Dr Bhojnagarwala is actively involved in medical education as a Clinical Academic Tutor at Kent & Medway Medical School, and previously held positions as Workforce and Education Lead, and Nutrition Lead at Medway. His commitment to service development is further demonstrated by his previous role as FiCare Lead at Chelsea & Westminster. Beyond these local roles, Dr Bhojnagarwala contributes nationally as Honorary General Secretary of the Paediatrician with Expertise in Cardiology Group, UK, and as Honorary Treasurer of NeoFOCUS-UK.

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