Concierge cardiology · UK
Pacemakers - the right device for your heart’s wiring.
Single, dual-chamber, leadless, biventricular or conduction-system - a pacemaker is a decade-long relationship, not a gadget. We match the device to your rhythm problem and set up the checks, remote monitoring and battery plan around it.
Why patients choose us
- 01
Device cardiology, not device sales
A consultant cardiologist matches the device to your heart’s wiring - single, dual, leadless or biventricular - with no manufacturer allegiance and no upselling.
- 02
A lifetime relationship, not a one-off fit
A pacemaker is a 10–15-year commitment of checks, remote monitoring and eventually a battery change. We set up the whole pathway, not just the implant.
- 03
Independent, and free
We are paid by no hospital or device company, so the advice - including “your symptoms are not a pacing problem” - is impartial and costs you nothing.
Indicative pricing
What private pacemaker care costs in the UK.
Indicative all-in ranges across our partner cardiac units - device, implant and follow-up. Send the details and we quote firm figures across two or three options, with cover checked.
In short
A complete dual-chamber system in our network: £8,500–£15,000 all-in, checks from £150.
| Procedure | Indicative range | Typical duration | Stay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Device cardiology consultation + ECG | £250–£450 | 30–45 min | Same visit |
| Single-chamber pacemaker (implanted, all-in) | £7,000–£12,000 | 45–75 min | Day-case or 1 night |
| Dual-chamber pacemaker (implanted, all-in) | £8,500–£15,000 | 60–90 min | Day-case or 1 night |
| Leadless pacemaker (implanted, all-in) | £15,000–£25,000 | 45–75 min | Day-case or 1 night |
| Biventricular pacemaker / CRT-P (all-in) | £18,000–£30,000 | 2–3 hours | 1–2 nights |
| Device clinic check (in person) | £150–£300 | 20–30 min | Same visit |
| Remote monitoring (annual) | £200–£500/year | Ongoing | Continuous |
The device itself drives most of the price - leadless capsules and biventricular systems cost several times a standard generator. Ongoing costs are modest: a device clinic check once or twice a year and, optionally, remote monitoring. We come back with a firm all-in quote within one working day.
The problem
The right device type, and a plan for the next fifteen years.
Pacemaker care goes wrong quietly - the wrong chamber configuration, no remote monitoring, batteries reaching end-of-life unnoticed. We set up the device and the decade around it properly.
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The diagnosis picks the device
Heart block, sick sinus and AF with pauses each call for a different configuration. We never start from the catalogue.
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Remote monitoring from day one
Devices that phone home catch lead problems and battery depletion months early. Every implant we arrange includes it.
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Plan the battery change before you need it
Generators last 8–15 years. A tracked device means an elective day-case swap - never an urgent admission on an end-of-life alert.
The journey
From enquiry to recovery - what happens, in order.
One team from first message through device selection, implantation and every check for the life of the device.
Phase 1 · Before your device
Rhythm work-up and device selection
Phase 2 · On the day
Implant and programming
Phase 3 · After
Checks, remote monitoring, battery plan
- 01
Before
You tell us what is going on
A short, confidential form. Dizzy spells, fatigue, blackouts or a known slow heart rhythm - plus any ECGs, monitor results or existing device details.
- 02
Before
We come back with a recommendation
Within one working day: whether a pacemaker is likely to help, which type suits your rhythm problem, the right cardiologist, and an indicative price.
- 03
Before
Rhythm work-up
ECG, echocardiogram and ambulatory monitoring where needed - because the device choice follows the diagnosis, never the other way round.
- 04
Before
Device selection in clinic
Single or dual chamber, rate response, leadless, MRI-conditional status, expected battery life - decided with you, with the trade-offs on the table.
- 05
On the day
Implantation
A 45–90 minute procedure under local anaesthetic - covered in detail on our pacemaker implantation page - with most patients home the same day.
- 06
On the day
Programming and enrolment
Before discharge the device is programmed to your physiology and you are enrolled in remote monitoring, with a bedside transmitter for home.
- 07
After
Checks, tweaks, and the long game
Device clinic at 4–6 weeks, then remote checks with annual in-person reviews. Settings are refined over time; the generator is replaced when the battery winds down.
Typical end-to-end: 1–2 weeks from enquiry to implant, then a check-up rhythm of one device clinic visit a year with remote monitoring in between.
When it helps
When a pacemaker is the right answer.
The rhythm problems a pacemaker genuinely solves, plus the one red flag that means urgent review rather than a routine booking.
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A heart that beats too slowly
Bradycardia causing fatigue, breathlessness or fainting - the core problem every pacemaker exists to solve.
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Heart block
The signal from the upper to lower chambers fails intermittently or completely - a dual-chamber device restores the relay.
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Sick sinus syndrome
The natural pacemaker ages and misfires - pauses, slow spells and sometimes racing runs in between.
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Pauses in atrial fibrillation
AF that stops and starts can leave long gaps - a simple ventricular or leadless device abolishes the blackouts.
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Unexplained falls and faints in later life
When monitoring catches pauses behind recurrent falls, pacing often ends them - and the fractures they cause.
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Heart failure with a wide QRS
A biventricular pacemaker (CRT-P) re-synchronises a failing heart - a pacemaker as treatment, not just insurance.
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An ageing device needing replacement
Batteries last 8–15 years. We arrange elective generator changes before the device reaches its end-of-life warnings.
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Red flag: blackouts with a known slow rhythm
Documented bradycardia plus syncope needs urgent cardiology review and often an expedited implant - not a routine appointment in six weeks.
Procedure options
Five device families, one job - matched to your rhythm.
What each type of pacemaker does, who it suits, and the features - rate response, MRI-conditionality, remote monitoring - worth asking about.
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Single-chamber pacemaker
One lead, usually in the right ventricle. The workhorse for atrial fibrillation with slow conduction, where pacing the atrium adds nothing.
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Dual-chamber pacemaker
Leads in the right atrium and ventricle, keeping the two in step. The standard choice for heart block and sick sinus syndrome.
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Leadless pacemaker
A capsule the size of a large vitamin pill sitting entirely inside the heart. No pocket, no scar on the chest, no leads to fracture or infect - ideal for selected single-chamber needs.
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Biventricular pacemaker (CRT-P)
Three leads, pacing both ventricles to resynchronise a failing heart with a wide QRS - improves symptoms and survival in the right patients.
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Rate-responsive pacing
Sensors detect movement or breathing and speed the pacing rate with exertion - so stairs and sprints feel normal again.
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Conduction-system pacing
His-bundle or left-bundle-branch pacing uses the heart’s own wiring for a more natural beat - increasingly offered where pacing will be frequent.
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MRI-conditional systems
Nearly all modern devices allow MRI scans under specified conditions. We confirm your whole system - generator and leads - is labelled for it.
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Remote monitoring
A bedside transmitter sends device data to your clinic overnight - battery status, rhythm episodes, lead health - catching problems months before a symptom.
Our vetted UK network
A small panel of device cardiologists, we picked them.
Consultant device cardiologists and electrophysiologists across London and the major UK cities. Introductions are made privately, once we understand your case.
Selection criteria
How we choose every device centre in our network.
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Consultant device cardiologists at cardiac centres accredited for complex pacing
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The full device portfolio - conventional, leadless, CRT and conduction-system pacing
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Remote monitoring and a named device clinic attached to every implant
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Transparent, all-in device pricing with no manufacturer steering
Safety and recovery
What to expect afterwards - honestly.
A pacemaker should make life bigger, not smaller. Here is what living with one actually involves - and the handful of genuine precautions.
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Living with a pacemaker is refreshingly boring
Once healed, most people forget the device is there. Normal exercise, travel, sex, swimming and flying are all fine - airport scanners included, with sensible precautions.
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Household electronics are almost all safe
Phones (kept 15 cm from the device, not in a breast pocket), microwaves, Wi-Fi and induction hobs at arm’s length are fine. Keep strong magnets - including phone MagSafe rings - away from the generator.
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The battery is a scheduled event, not an emergency
Modern generators last roughly 8–15 years depending on pacing burden. Remote monitoring flags depletion months ahead, and replacement is a short day-case.
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Leads are the long-term weak point
Over decades, leads can fracture or their insulation wear. Checks catch it early; extraction and replacement, when needed, is done at specialist centres.
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Driving rules are specific
After a first implant, private drivers must pause driving (typically one week if criteria are met); bus and lorry licences pause longer. Your cardiologist confirms your DVLA category in writing.
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Red flags at any point
Fainting returns, a hot or swollen device site, persistent hiccups or chest-wall twitching, or a beeping/vibrating alert from the device - same-day device clinic contact, not a routine booking.
Reading your device check report
Your device check report in four parts. Read the last one first.
Whether the check was in clinic or transmitted from your bedside unit overnight, the report keeps to the same shape.
A quiet reminder
Pacing percentages and impedance trends mean little without context - we translate them for you.
If you would like us to talk you through your device report and what the numbers mean for your battery and leads, just ask.
- 01 Header
Your device, on paper
The generator model, lead models and serial numbers, implant date and MRI-conditional status - the passport data every hospital will ask for.
- 02 Technique
Battery and lead health
Battery voltage and estimated longevity, lead impedances and thresholds - trended over time, this is how problems are caught early.
- 03 Findings
What your heart has been doing
Pacing percentages, any recorded arrhythmias (AF episodes, pauses, fast runs) and how often the device actually had to step in.
- 04 Impression
Settings, changes and next check
Read this first: what was reprogrammed and why, whether the battery is on schedule, and when your next remote or in-person check falls.
Recognised by major UK insurers
Pacemakers and their implantation are usually covered when medically indicated, with pre-authorisation for the device cost. Ongoing device checks are often claimable as outpatient follow-up. We confirm cover before booking.
Frequently asked
Everything we get asked about pacemakers.
Quick answers on how they work, device types, batteries, daily-life restrictions and private costs.
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What exactly does a pacemaker do?
A pacemaker watches every heartbeat and steps in only when your own rhythm is too slow or the electrical signal fails - sending tiny, painless impulses to keep the heart at a healthy rate. Modern devices adjust their rate with exercise and record every rhythm disturbance they see.
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What types of pacemaker are there?
Single-chamber (one lead), dual-chamber (two leads, keeping the upper and lower chambers in step), biventricular or CRT-P devices for heart failure, and leadless capsules that sit entirely inside the heart. Conduction-system pacing - using the heart’s own wiring - is the newest refinement. The right type follows your diagnosis, not the catalogue.
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How long does a pacemaker battery last?
Typically 8–15 years, depending on how much of the time the device is pacing and the settings used. Remote monitoring tracks the battery continuously and flags depletion months in advance, so replacement - a short day-case swap of the generator only - is planned, never a panic.
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What can I not do with a pacemaker?
Remarkably little. Avoid holding strong magnets against the device, keep your phone out of the breast pocket on that side, mention the device before MRI scans (nearly all modern systems are MRI-conditional), and avoid arc welding and industrial magnetic fields. Contact sports that pound the collarbone area deserve a conversation first.
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How much does a private pacemaker cost in the UK?
All-in - device, implanter, hospital and first check - expect £7,000–£12,000 for single-chamber, £8,500–£15,000 for dual-chamber, £15,000–£25,000 for leadless and £18,000–£30,000 for a biventricular CRT-P system. Device clinic checks run £150–£300 and remote monitoring £200–£500 a year. We confirm firm figures within one working day.
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Do pacemakers fix palpitations or a racing heart?
No - a standard pacemaker prevents the heart going too slowly; it cannot slow a racing rhythm. Fast rhythms need medication, ablation, or in some cases a defibrillator (ICD). If your problem is racing rather than slowing, we route you to the right electrophysiologist instead - see our pacemakers and defibrillators comparison page.
Related treatments
Looking for something else?
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Pacemaker implantation
The implant procedure itself, step by step.
Learn more -
Pacemakers + defibrillators
Pacemaker, ICD or CRT - which device does what.
Learn more -
Conduction system pacing
Pacing the heart’s own wiring.
Learn more -
Atrial fibrillation
The rhythm condition behind many devices.
Learn more -
Cardiac treatments
Every cardiac service we arrange.
Learn more -
All tests & procedures
Every test and procedure we arrange.
Learn more