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Cardiology · London

Private stress echocardiogram in London, read by a cardiologist.

A specialist heart-ultrasound performed under exercise or drug stress - the most sensitive non-invasive test for reversible ischaemia and valve behaviour under load.

A stethoscope on a clinical desk

Indicative pricing

What a private stress echo costs in London.

Indicative ranges across UK private providers.

In short

£700–£1,300; with a consultant review £900–£1,700.

Scan type Indicative range
Exercise stress echo (treadmill or bike) £700–£1,300
Dobutamine stress echo (drug) £800–£1,500
Stress echo + cardiologist review £900–£1,700
Contrast-enhanced stress echo £900–£1,700
Diastolic stress echo £700–£1,300
Follow-up / surveillance stress echo £600–£1,100

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

The problem

A stress echo is only useful if the right protocol is done, and read properly.

Exercise or dobutamine, treadmill or bike, with or without contrast - matching the protocol to the clinical question, and getting it reported by an accredited cardiologist, is the entire job.

  • Cannot exercise on a treadmill?

    A dobutamine stress echo raises the heart rate pharmacologically, with the same diagnostic yield.

  • Want a consultant to read it?

    Some clinics have a BSE-accredited consultant cardiologist perform and report the study, rather than a technician alone - worth asking about.

What it shows

Find the study that matches your symptom.

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

  • Reversible ischaemia

    New wall-motion abnormalities that appear only under stress - the hallmark of a significant coronary narrowing.

  • Chest pain investigation

    Work-up for exertional chest pain when the resting ECG and echo are normal.

  • Unexplained breathlessness

    Distinguishes cardiac from non-cardiac causes when breathlessness only appears on exertion.

  • Valve disease under load

    Assesses aortic stenosis, mitral regurgitation and other valve lesions during exercise.

  • Regional wall motion

    Detects segmental changes that betray disease in a specific coronary territory.

  • Dobutamine option (if unable to exercise)

    Pharmacological stress for patients who cannot walk on a treadmill or pedal a bike.

  • Post-revascularisation

    Follow-up after stents or bypass surgery to check patency and functional recovery.

  • Red flag: severe symptoms

    Crushing chest pain, collapse or severe breathlessness at rest - call 999. This is not a service for emergencies.

Stress echo types

Not all stress echos are the same.

What each option on your referral is actually for.

  • Exercise treadmill stress echo

    The commonest protocol - Bruce protocol treadmill exercise with immediate post-exercise imaging.

  • Exercise bicycle stress echo

    Upright or supine bike - allows imaging during exercise, not just after, for higher sensitivity.

  • Dobutamine stress echo

    An intravenous inotrope infusion is used to raise heart rate when exercise is not possible.

  • Contrast-enhanced stress echo

    Microbubble contrast improves endocardial border definition when standard images are difficult.

  • Diastolic stress echo

    Assesses filling pressures on exertion in suspected heart-failure with preserved ejection fraction.

  • Post-MI risk stratification

    Used after a heart attack to identify residual ischaemia or viable but hibernating myocardium.

  • Valve-disease stress echo

    Symptomatic patients with borderline aortic or mitral valve disease - assesses gradients under load.

  • Paediatric stress echo (specialist)

    Specialist stress echo in children, reported by a paediatric cardiologist.

Safety and eligibility

Safe when done in the right hands.

Stress echo is safe, but not entirely without risk - the practical points are medication, meal and caffeine timing, and knowing what to expect on the day.

  • Small serious-event risk

    Stress echo is safe, but a small risk of arrhythmia or ischaemia exists - full resuscitation kit and a consultant are present throughout.

  • Take usual cardiac medication

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

  • Comfortable clothing

    Wear loose clothing and trainers you can exercise in. You will undress to the waist for the imaging.

  • No heavy meal two hours before

    Eat a light meal at least two hours before. Do not arrive hungry - a small snack is fine.

  • Caffeine avoided

    No coffee, tea, energy drinks or chocolate for 12 hours before a dobutamine study.

  • Beta-blocker may need pausing

    A beta-blocker can blunt the heart-rate response - the specialist decides whether to pause it.

  • Dobutamine causes transient palpitations

    A brief fluttering feeling during the infusion is expected and settles within minutes of stopping.

  • Pregnancy usually deferred

    Stress echo is usually deferred in pregnancy unless clinically urgent - the resting echo remains completely safe.

  • Signs to stop discussed on the day

    The team goes through the symptoms that would prompt stopping the test before it starts.

Reading your report

A stress echo report can look intimidating. It isn’t.

Whether exercise or dobutamine, the report keeps to the same four parts.

A UK consultant cardiologist reviewing a stress echocardiogram

A quiet reminder

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

If anything in it is unclear, ask your cardiologist or GP to talk you through it at your follow-up.

  1. 01 Header

    Your details and the indication

    Your details, the protocol used, and the clinical question behind the study.

  2. 02 Technique

    Protocol, target HR, drug used

    Which protocol (Bruce, bike, dobutamine), the target heart rate achieved and any drugs administered.

  3. 03 Findings

    Wall motion at rest and stress, EF, valves

    Wall motion at rest and stress, ejection fraction, and valve behaviour under load.

  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 stress echocardiography.

Quick answers on cost, referrals, exercise vs dobutamine, safety and results.

  • What does a stress echocardiogram show?

    A stress echo shows how the heart muscle contracts under stress - either exercise or a drug. New wall-motion abnormalities that appear only under stress point to a significant coronary narrowing. It also shows how valves behave under load and how filling pressures rise on exertion.

  • Exercise vs dobutamine - which is right for me?

    Exercise is preferred when you can walk on a treadmill or pedal a bike, because it also gives functional information about symptoms and exercise capacity. Dobutamine is used when exercise is not possible - for example, in significant arthritis or peripheral vascular disease. The consultant chooses based on your history.

  • How much does a private stress echo cost in London?

    An exercise stress echo is typically £700–£1,300, and a dobutamine stress echo £800–£1,500. Bundled with a consultant cardiology review it is £900–£1,700.

  • Do I need a referral?

    A referral is usually preferred because stress echo carries a small risk and needs proper indication.

  • Is a stress echo safe?

    Stress echo is one of the safest cardiac stress tests. There is a small risk of arrhythmia or ischaemia - well under 1 in 1,000 serious events - and full resuscitation kit and a consultant are present throughout the study.

  • Do I need to fast?

    You do not need to fast fully. Avoid a heavy meal for two hours before, and avoid caffeine for 12 hours before a dobutamine study. Take your usual medication with a sip of water unless told otherwise.

  • How quickly will I get results?

    The consultant cardiologist usually gives you a preliminary result at the end of the visit. The written report follows in 24–72 hours and is normally copied to your GP or specialist.

  • When would a nuclear or MRI stress test be used instead?

    Nuclear stress (myocardial perfusion) or stress cardiac MRI are alternatives when the echo images are technically difficult, when the question is about viability, or when the specialist wants perfusion rather than wall-motion data.

  • Will my insurance cover it?

    Most policies cover stress echo when clinically indicated and pre-authorised.

  • When should I see a GP first?

    If you have severe chest pain, collapse or breathlessness at rest, call 999 - this is not a service for emergencies. For stable exertional symptoms, seeing a GP or a cardiologist first is usually the right sequence.

Related content

Looking for a different test?

In practice, in London

Where stress echo sits in a private London pathway

With stress echo, the London question is usually about report turnaround and the radiologist reading it - not whether the scan is available. On the NHS, stress echo typically sits behind a triage step and a wait that can stretch from a few weeks into months. In London’s private sector, the same appointment often lands within days. That speed matters when symptoms are disrupting work, sleep, or a plan you’d already committed to - and it’s a common reason people look at private options.

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 stress echo specifically, the difference between a routine report and a sub-speciality read is where private care earns its keep.

Fit matters more than people expect. For stress echo, the right consultant depends on what you actually need - a second opinion, a definitive diagnosis, a bridge into treatment, or reassurance that nothing’s being missed. If a test isn’t the right next step, it is worth establishing that before you book anything.