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Cardiology · London

Private 24-hour blood pressure monitoring in London, the definitive way to diagnose hypertension.

A small monitor worn for 24 hours that measures your BP through work and sleep - the definitive way to confirm hypertension and rule out white-coat effect.

A stethoscope on a clinical desk

Indicative pricing

What private 24-hour BP monitoring costs in London.

Indicative ranges across UK private providers.

In short

£150–£300; with a specialist review £250–£450.

Scan type Indicative range
24-hour ambulatory BP (ABPM) £150–£300
ABPM + GP or cardiologist review £250–£450
Combined ABPM + Holter ECG £350–£650
48-hour extended ABPM £250–£450
Home BP monitoring kit + coaching £120–£250
Repeat / surveillance ABPM £150–£300

Prices vary by clinic, whether a specialist review is included, and whether ABPM is combined with a heart rhythm monitor.

The problem

A high clinic reading does not always mean hypertension.

One-off clinic readings are famously unreliable - some patients spike from the setting alone, others hide raised BP that only appears at work or overnight. NICE recommends ABPM to settle the question. That is the entire job of the test.

  • High in clinic, unsure at home?

    ABPM confirms or excludes white-coat hypertension - so you don’t start unnecessary treatment.

  • Normal in clinic but feeling off?

    ABPM catches masked hypertension - raised BP hidden by the calm of the consulting room.

  • Already on treatment?

    ABPM shows whether your medication actually reaches target across a full 24 hours.

What it shows

The patterns ABPM actually reveals.

Not just an average - the shape of your BP through the day and night. These are the eight most common questions.

  • White-coat hypertension

    BP that spikes in clinic but is normal in daily life - ABPM is the definitive way to confirm it.

  • Masked hypertension

    Normal in clinic but raised at work or home - a hidden risk that only ambulatory monitoring picks up.

  • Nocturnal hypertension

    BP that fails to dip overnight - a strong marker of future cardiovascular risk.

  • Resistant hypertension

    BP still high on three or more drugs - ABPM confirms whether it is truly resistant.

  • Menopause-related BP change

    Perimenopause and menopause commonly nudge BP up - ABPM shows the true pattern.

  • Elderly BP variability

    Older patients often show big clinic-to-home swings; ABPM prevents over-treatment.

  • Pregnancy hypertension monitoring

    Safe in pregnancy to monitor gestational hypertension and pre-eclampsia risk.

  • Red flag: severe BP with symptoms

    Severe headache, chest pain, breathlessness or visual change with very high BP - call 999.

BP monitoring options

Not all BP tests are the same.

What each option on your referral is actually for.

  • 24-hour ABPM

    The NICE-endorsed test for diagnosing hypertension - measurements through work and sleep.

  • 48-hour ABPM

    A longer window when a single day is unrepresentative, or when symptoms fluctuate.

  • Home BP monitoring

    Twice-daily readings for a week with a validated home cuff - useful for tracking treatment.

  • ABPM + Holter ECG combined

    BP and heart rhythm captured together when palpitations coincide with BP change.

  • ABPM in pregnancy

    Safe monitoring for gestational hypertension and pre-eclampsia surveillance.

  • ABPM for shift workers

    Captures BP through overnight and rotating shifts where clinic readings mislead.

  • Occupational stress ABPM

    Monitors BP through a normal working day when workplace stress is the suspected driver.

  • Post-medication-adjustment ABPM

    Confirms whether a new or changed antihypertensive has actually reached target through the day.

Safety and eligibility

One of the safest tests in medicine.

ABPM is non-invasive and low risk. The practical points are wearing the cuff properly - and knowing what the numbers really mean once you have them.

  • Non-invasive

    Nothing is put into your body - just a cuff on the upper arm, connected to a small recorder.

  • Painless but noticeable

    The cuff inflates every 20-30 minutes by day and every 60 minutes at night. It squeezes briefly, then releases.

  • Sleep may be lightly disrupted

    Most people notice the night-time inflations at first, then settle. That data is the most valuable part of the test.

  • Avoid heavy exercise

    Do not do heavy exercise or the gym while the monitor is on - it will not read accurately during intense activity.

  • Continue usual medication

    Take all your regular tablets exactly as prescribed unless a clinician tells you otherwise.

  • Pregnancy safe

    ABPM is safe in pregnancy and routinely used for gestational hypertension surveillance.

  • Not for very unwell patients

    If you are acutely unwell or in a hypertensive emergency, ABPM is the wrong test - you need urgent assessment.

  • Skin irritation possible

    The cuff can occasionally leave a light rash or bruise under the arm. It settles within a day or two.

  • Interpreted in context

    Results are always read alongside your symptoms, medication and cardiovascular risk profile.

Reading your report

An ABPM trace can look busy. It isn’t.

Whether 24 hours or 48, the report keeps to the same four parts.

A UK consultant reviewing an ambulatory BP trace

A quiet reminder

A single high reading is not a diagnosis - a full 24-hour trace is.

If anything is unclear, ask the reporting clinician to talk you through it before your follow-up.

  1. 01 Header

    Your details and the indication

    Your details, medication list, and the clinical question the monitoring was set up to answer.

  2. 02 Technique

    How the recording was made

    Device model, sampling interval by day and night, and total valid readings captured.

  3. 03 Findings

    What the recording showed

    Average day BP, average night BP, nocturnal dip, and load percentages above threshold.

  4. 04 Impression

    The conclusion: read this first

    Normal, white-coat, masked or sustained hypertension - and what to do next. Read this first.

Recognised by major UK insurers

BupaAXA HealthVitalityAvivaWPACignaHealixBupaAXA HealthVitalityAvivaWPACignaHealixBupaAXA HealthVitalityAvivaWPACignaHealix

Frequently asked

Common questions about 24-hour BP monitoring.

Quick answers on cost, referrals, comfort, results and insurance.

  • What does 24-hour ambulatory BP monitoring show?

    It records your blood pressure automatically through a normal day and night, giving average day and night readings, the nocturnal dip, and the proportion of readings above target. NICE recommends it as the definitive test to diagnose hypertension.

  • How is ABPM different from a clinic BP reading?

    A clinic reading is a single number in an artificial setting. ABPM captures dozens of readings through your real day, filters out the white-coat effect, and reveals patterns - such as nocturnal hypertension - that a single reading cannot.

  • How is ABPM different from home monitoring?

    Home monitoring uses a manual cuff twice daily for a week and depends on you. ABPM is fully automatic, includes sleep, and is the NICE-endorsed test for diagnosis. Home monitoring is excellent for tracking a known diagnosis.

  • How much does private ABPM cost in London?

    24-hour ABPM is typically £150-£300, or £250-£450 with a specialist review. Combined ABPM with a Holter heart monitor is £350-£650.

  • Do I need a referral?

    Most ABPM services accept self-referral.

  • What is white-coat vs masked hypertension?

    White-coat: BP is high in clinic but normal in daily life. Masked: BP is normal in clinic but raised at work or home. ABPM is the only reliable way to tell either apart from true sustained hypertension.

  • What is the nocturnal dip?

    A healthy BP falls by roughly 10-20% at night. A blunted or absent dip - or a nocturnal rise - is a strong independent predictor of future cardiovascular events, even when daytime BP looks acceptable.

  • Do I need to fast or avoid exercise?

    No fasting. Take your usual medication as prescribed. Avoid heavy exercise or the gym while wearing the monitor, and keep your arm still while the cuff is inflating.

  • When should I see a GP first?

    If you have severe symptoms with very high BP - chest pain, breathlessness, severe headache or visual change - do not wait for ABPM. Call 999 or see a GP urgently.

  • Will my insurance cover it?

    Most policies cover ABPM when clinically indicated and pre-authorised.

Related tests

Looking for a different test?

In practice, in London

The honest picture around ambulatory bp in London

With ambulatory bp, the London question is usually about report turnaround and the radiologist reading it - not whether the scan is available. The NHS route for ambulatory bp is thorough, but the queue is real. Many patients are told to expect anywhere from a handful of weeks to several months, depending on their local trust and how the referral is graded. Going private in London can often shorten that window to a matter of days - often the same week if the diary allows. It isn’t about jumping a queue so much as buying time back while you still have the flexibility to plan around it.

A typical private booking for ambulatory bp in London starts with a consultant conversation - sometimes in person on Harley Street or Marylebone, sometimes on video if that suits better. Any imaging or diagnostics happen at a nearby CQC-registered facility, and reports usually land within 24 to 72 hours. The whole loop, from first call to written report, is often done inside a fortnight. For ambulatory bp specifically, the difference between a routine report and a sub-speciality read is where private care earns its keep.

There are dozens of consultants in London who see ambulatory bp - but not all of them are the right fit for every case. The right first appointment saves you from repeating yourself later.