How much does a private cardiology consultation cost privately in the UK? (2026)

A private cardiology consultation is an appointment with a consultant cardiologist to assess palpitations, chest pain, breathlessness, blood pressure, a family history or an abnormal test, usually including an examination and ECG.

Several UK hospital groups publish guide prices on their websites. In the listings we retrieved, private cardiology consultation ran from £160 to £725, depending on the hospital, the variant listed and what that provider counts in its price. The table shows each entry as published.

Because each provider defines its package differently, the cheapest figure in a list is not automatically the best value. Compare what each includes before you compare totals.

The cardiologist takes a history, examines you and usually records an ECG. They may then arrange an echo, monitoring or blood tests, sometimes at the same visit.

Ask for an indication of the likely next steps and their cost before the appointment, as well as how results will be shared with your GP.

The headline figure hides several moving parts. In the case of private cardiology consultation, the following tend to decide where a quote lands.

• Initial versus follow-up: Complete Cardiology lists £250 for an initial consultation and £160 for follow-up, a typical pattern.

• Tests on the day: an ECG, echo or bloods may be added to the fee.

• Setting: a hospital outpatient department, a private practice or a clinic can differ.

• Consultant seniority and location: central London appointments tend to cost more than regional ones, though we only sourced one provider.

• Package option: some practices offer a heart health check bundle.

A fixed price is only as useful as its small print. Here is how the common items tend to divide between included and extra.

Insurers usually cover consultations with a GP referral and an open referral, though you may need to use an insurer-recognised consultant.

Insured patients should confirm the benefit limit, the excess and whether the consultant is on the insurer list. Self-funders can compare a fixed package price against an itemised estimate, and ask whether credit is available.

NHS cardiology is accessed through GP referral, with urgent chest pain clinics for new symptoms and routine waits varying by trust.

If you are weighing private against NHS care, remember that NHS referral gives you a right to choose a provider in England and an 18-week standard for non-urgent treatment. Check current waits in your area before deciding.

There is no recovery. Time away from work for the appointment and tests is the practical cost.

Ask your provider to explain, in writing if possible, what is covered if the course of care changes.

• Tests suggested at the appointment can quickly exceed the consultation fee, so ask what is likely to be recommended and the cost of each.

• Chest pain at rest, fainting or severe breathlessness need 999; do not wait for an appointment.

Ask each provider for an itemised written estimate, then put them side by side. These questions are specific to this procedure.

• What is the initial consultation fee and what does it include?

• Are tests like ECG or echo included or extra?

• What would a follow-up consultation cost?

• Will a letter go to my GP?

• Is the consultant fee, anaesthetist fee and hospital fee shown separately, and are any of them estimated rather than fixed?