Private ECG Test in London

A private 12-lead ECG at London Private Ultrasound costs £119, all-inclusive, at both our clinics: 27 Welbeck Street in the Harley Street Medical District, and 54–56 Victoria Street, St Albans. The price covers the recording, specialist review of the trace and a same-day written report. There is no separate report fee and no booking fee.

If you want your heart rhythm checked alongside your stroke and circulation risk, the Heart Health & Stroke Risk Screening is £649. It adds a carotid artery scan, an ankle-brachial index, an abdominal aortic aneurysm scan and a cardiologist review of every result.

A private resting ECG in the UK usually costs somewhere between about £85 and £155. The difference mostly comes down to who reads the trace. Cheaper prices are often a GP-read ECG. Higher prices usually include a cardiologist’s report or are charged by a private hospital. At £119, our price includes specialist review and a same-day written report.

When you compare prices, check three things: whether the report is included or charged separately, whether a specialist reviews the trace, and how quickly you get the result.

No. An ECG is one of the cheapest heart tests available, because it is quick and needs no scanning time or laboratory work. At London Private Ultrasound it is £119 including the report. An echocardiogram, Holter monitor or cardiology consultation costs more, and an ECG is often the first test that tells you whether you need one of those.

Yes. On the NHS an ECG is free if your GP, a hospital doctor or NHS 111 decides you need one, and many GP surgeries can do it on site. Waiting times for a routine appointment vary by area. If you have chest pain, severe breathlessness or have fainted, go to A&E or call 999, where an ECG will be done straight away.

People book a private ECG when they want it the same day without waiting for a GP appointment, need a report for travel, sport, work or insurance, or want reassurance about palpitations or a previous result.

No. You can book a private ECG directly, without a GP referral. Bring any previous ECGs, heart letters and a list of your medication if you have them, so the new trace can be compared with the old one. Your report can be shared with your GP, NHS specialist or private cardiologist.

Yes. Same-day and next-day ECG appointments are often available at both our clinics, 7 days a week from 9am to 7pm. Central London: 27 Welbeck Street, London W1G 8EN, in the Harley Street Medical District, a short walk from Bond Street, Oxford Circus and Marylebone. St Albans: 54–56 Victoria Street, AL1 3HZ, near St Albans City station.

We recommend booking online, calling 020 7101 3377 or messaging us on WhatsApp before you come in, rather than walking in, so a room and clinician are ready for you.

The recording itself takes about 5 to 10 minutes. Allow around 15 to 20 minutes for the whole appointment, including check-in and preparation. Your ECG is reviewed and you receive a same-day written report.

If anything abnormal is found, the report explains what it means and the sensible next step, such as a GP follow-up, a cardiology consultation, an echocardiogram, a Holter monitor or blood tests.

An ECG records the electrical activity of your heart. It can show your heart rate and rhythm, atrial fibrillation and other irregular rhythms, heart block and conduction delays, and signs of a previous heart attack. It can also show thickening or strain of the heart muscle, a long QT interval, the Wolff-Parkinson-White pattern, and some medication or blood-salt related changes.

It only shows what your heart is doing during the few minutes of the recording. If your symptoms come and go, a longer recording with a Holter monitor is more likely to catch them.

An ECG can show changes that suggest a heart attack is happening or has happened in the past. It cannot show whether your coronary arteries are narrowed, so a normal resting ECG does not rule out heart disease.

If you have chest pain now, call 999 or go to A&E. Do not book a private ECG. A heart attack is diagnosed in hospital using ECGs and blood tests such as troponin.

An ECG is painless. It uses small sticky pads placed on your chest, wrists and ankles. There are no needles, no radiation and no electricity going into your body.

You don’t need to do anything special beforehand. Keep taking your usual medication, avoid body lotion or oil on your chest that day, and wear a top that is easy to remove. If you have a lot of chest hair, a few small areas may need to be clipped so the pads stick properly. A chaperone is available on request.

Yes, ECG and EKG are the same test. EKG comes from the German spelling and is more common in the US. A 12-lead ECG uses 10 sticky pads to record 12 different views of your heart’s electrical activity. It is the standard resting ECG used by GPs, hospitals and cardiologists, and it is the test you are booking here.

An ECG records the heart’s electrical activity and rhythm, and takes a few minutes. An echocardiogram is an ultrasound scan of the heart that shows its structure, valves and how well it pumps, and takes about 20 to 30 minutes.

They answer different questions, so they are often done together, for example for a heart murmur, breathlessness or an abnormal ECG. See our echocardiogram page.

A resting ECG records your heart for a few minutes. A Holter monitor is a small portable ECG you wear at home, so it can catch palpitations, skipped beats or dizzy spells that come and go. Ours record for 3, 5 or 7 days, from £449, which catches far more than a 24-hour recording.

If your symptoms are happening often, or right now, start with an ECG. If they are occasional, a Holter monitor is more likely to find the cause. Many people have an ECG first and a Holter monitor afterwards if needed.

Yes. You can book blood tests at the same visit as your ECG, for example cholesterol, HbA1c for diabetes risk, thyroid function, kidney function or iron levels, which are often checked when people have palpitations or tiredness. See our private blood tests, or call 020 7101 3377 and we will book both together.

Chest pain now: no. Call 999 or go to A&E, especially if the pain spreads to your arm, jaw or back, or you feel breathless, sweaty or faint.

Palpitations, a racing or irregular pulse, or dizziness that have settled and have already been checked for anything urgent are good reasons to book a private ECG. If the ECG is normal but symptoms continue, a Holter monitor or cardiology consultation is the usual next step.

Book the ECG on its own (£119) if you want your heart rhythm checked, for palpitations, a pre-operative or sports check, medication monitoring or a follow-up of a previous result.

Choose the Heart Health & Stroke Risk Screening (£649) if you want a fuller check of your heart and circulation, especially if you are over 40 or have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, a smoking history or a family history of stroke or heart disease. In about 60 minutes it includes a 12-lead ECG for atrial fibrillation, a carotid artery scan, an ankle-brachial index, an abdominal aortic aneurysm scan and a cardiologist review of all results, with a same-day written report.