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Cardiology · London

Private echocardiogram in London, read by a consultant cardiologist.

Breathless on the stairs, palpitations that won’t settle, a murmur your GP wants a proper look at? A BSE‑accredited sonographer maps your heart in about half an hour, and a consultant cardiologist talks you through what it actually means - often the same week.

A stethoscope on a clinical desk

Indicative pricing

What a private echocardiogram costs in London.

Indicative ranges across UK private providers.

In short

£350-£650; with a consultant review £500-£950.

Scan type Indicative range
Transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE) £350–£650
TTE + consultant cardiology review £500–£950
Stress echocardiogram £600–£1,100
Transoesophageal echo (TOE, sedated) £1,500–£3,000
Bubble contrast echo £550–£950
Follow-up / surveillance echo £300–£600

Prices vary by clinic, time of day, whether contrast or sedation is required, and whether a consultant review is included.

The problem

An echo is only useful if the right one is done, and read properly.

A standard TTE answers most questions; some need a stress echo or a TOE. Matching the type of study to the clinical question - and getting it reported by an imaging cardiologist - is the entire job. That is what matters.

  • Known murmur or valve disease?

    For follow-up or planning surgery, a 3D TTE or TOE may be more informative than a standard study.

  • Want a consultant to read it?

    Look for clinics where a consultant imaging cardiologist reports it - not a technician alone.

What it shows

Find the study that matches your symptom.

Heart symptoms differ enormously in pattern. These are the questions most often asked.

  • Heart failure symptoms

    Measures ejection fraction and pumping function when you are breathless, tired or swelling up.

  • Valve disease and murmur

    Assesses stenosis and leaks across aortic, mitral, tricuspid and pulmonary valves.

  • Breathlessness assessment

    Distinguishes cardiac from lung causes when you cannot explain why you are short of breath.

  • Murmur or new heart sound

    Explains what your GP heard on the stethoscope and whether it needs treating.

  • Chamber size and function

    Measures left and right ventricle size, wall thickness and how well each chamber contracts.

  • Congenital abnormalities

    Detects holes, unusual valves and structural differences present from birth.

  • Hypertensive heart disease

    Shows the effect of long-standing high blood pressure on the heart muscle.

  • Follow-up after MI or chemo

    Tracks recovery of pumping function after a heart attack or cardiotoxic chemotherapy.

Echo types

Not all echos are the same.

What each option on your referral is actually for.

  • TTE (standard)

    Transthoracic echo - the standard heart ultrasound from the outside of the chest.

  • Stress echo (exercise or dobutamine)

    An echo done at rest and on exertion, to reveal problems that only show up under stress.

  • Transoesophageal echo (TOE)

    A sedated study with a probe passed into the oesophagus for very high-detail images of valves and the left atrium.

  • Bubble contrast echo

    Uses agitated saline to look for holes between the chambers - useful after cryptogenic stroke.

  • 3D echo

    Volumetric imaging of valves and chambers - especially useful before valve surgery.

  • Speckle-tracking / strain imaging

    Detects subtle changes in heart muscle function before ejection fraction falls.

  • Contrast-enhanced echo

    Microbubble contrast improves visualisation when standard images are difficult.

  • Paediatric echo

    Specialist echo in children and neonates, reported by a paediatric cardiologist.

Safety and eligibility

One of the safest tests in medicine.

Echocardiography uses no radiation and, for a standard TTE, nothing more than warm gel. The practical points are body habitus and, for a TOE, sedation and fasting.

  • No radiation

    Ultrasound uses harmless sound waves - no X-rays or radiation dose of any kind.

  • No injection for standard TTE

    A standard transthoracic echo needs nothing more than warm gel on the chest.

  • Bubble contrast is safe

    Agitated saline microbubbles are used to look for shunts - safe and well tolerated.

  • TOE requires sedation and fasting

    For a transoesophageal echo you fast for six hours and cannot drive for 24 hours afterwards.

  • Obesity or lung disease

    Body habitus and hyper-inflated lungs can reduce image quality - contrast often helps.

  • Pacemakers and implants

    Any implanted cardiac device is completely fine for an echo.

  • Pregnancy safe

    Echocardiography is safe in pregnancy and often used to assess maternal heart function.

  • Do not stop cardiac medication

    Continue all your usual heart medication unless a cardiologist has told you otherwise.

Reading your report

An echo report can look intimidating. It isn’t.

Whether a standard TTE or a TOE, the report keeps to the same four parts.

A UK consultant cardiologist reviewing an echocardiogram

A quiet reminder

A normal echo does not always mean nothing else needs checking - context matters.

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

  1. 01 Header

    Your details and the question

    Your details, which echo was performed, and the clinical indication behind it.

  2. 02 Technique

    Which type of echo

    Whether this was a standard TTE, a stress echo, a TOE or a contrast study - each answers a different question.

  3. 03 Findings

    Chambers, valves, function, pericardium

    Measurements of the chambers, valve function, ejection fraction, and the sac around the heart.

  4. 04 Impression

    The conclusion: read this first

    What it means, and what to do next - read this first.

Recognised by major UK insurers

BupaAXA HealthVitalityAvivaWPACignaHealixBupaAXA HealthVitalityAvivaWPACignaHealixBupaAXA HealthVitalityAvivaWPACignaHealix

Frequently asked

Common questions about echocardiography.

Quick answers on cost, referrals, TTE vs TOE, ejection fraction and results.

  • How long does an echocardiogram take?

    A standard transthoracic echo (TTE) takes 30 to 45 minutes in the room - most of that lying on your left side while the sonographer moves a probe across your chest. A stress echo runs closer to 60 minutes; a TOE about 30 minutes plus recovery from sedation.

  • How much does a private echocardiogram cost in London?

    A standard transthoracic echo (TTE) is typically £350-£650, and £500-£950 with a consultant cardiology review included. A stress echo is £600-£1,100 and a TOE £1,500-£3,000.

  • Do I need a referral?

    Most echocardiograms accept self-referral, although a cardiology review is usually more useful than the scan alone.

  • What is the difference between TTE and TOE?

    A TTE is a standard external ultrasound of the heart through the chest wall - no preparation needed. A TOE uses a probe passed into the oesophagus under sedation to get much higher-detail images of the valves and left atrium. TOE is reserved for questions a TTE cannot fully answer.

  • What does ejection fraction mean?

    Ejection fraction is the percentage of blood pumped out of the left ventricle with each heartbeat. Normal is roughly 55-70 percent. A reduced ejection fraction is one definition of heart failure and guides treatment.

  • Is echo contrast safe?

    Yes. Standard bubble contrast is agitated saline - inert and well tolerated. Microbubble contrast agents used to improve image quality have an excellent safety record and are widely used.

  • How quickly will I get results?

    A written consultant report is typically available in 24-72 hours. Urgent findings are communicated the same day.

  • Will my insurance cover it?

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

  • Is echo safe in pregnancy or when breastfeeding?

    Yes. Ultrasound uses no radiation and is safe throughout pregnancy and breastfeeding. Echo is often used to assess maternal heart function during pregnancy.

  • When should I escalate?

    If you have severe chest pain or you faint, call 999 - this is not a test for emergencies. For new breathlessness, ankle swelling or an irregular pulse, an echo can usually be arranged privately within a day or two.

Related content

Looking for a different test?

In practice, in London

How echocardiogram tends to unfold when you go private

With echocardiogram, the London question is usually about report turnaround and the radiologist reading it - not whether the scan is available. The NHS route for echocardiogram 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 usually collapses 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.

The mechanics are straightforward: a consultant appointment, any tests done at a nearby CQC-registered site, and a written report back within a few days. London’s density of private diagnostics - Marylebone, the City, Chelsea, Canary Wharf - means most patients can find something that fits around work without a cross-town trek. For echocardiogram specifically, the difference between a routine report and a sub-speciality read is where private care earns its keep.

There are a lot of consultants in London who can technically handle echocardiogram. Fewer who do it week in, week out for the exact question you’re bringing. It’s worth checking which is which - and being open to a different test or a different specialist if that would serve you better. UK-regulated providers work to CQC, GMC and Royal College standards; the choice is about fit, not floor.