Book a private echocardiogram scan near you, and fast-track your diagnosis today. It's quick, simple and affordable, and you don't need a referral from your GP. Our prices include an expert clinician consultation, your chosen scan at a convenient location, and speedy online results.
Select a scan type and convenient location, and make payment to secure your booking.
After referral, your chosen scanning site will call you to offer a choice of appointment times. Some of our sites allow appointment pre-selection at the point of booking, but please wait for them to contact you to confirm your scan will go ahead as planned.
The expert staff at your selected partner centre will answer any queries and complete your scan. After your scan, the images will be prepared and and sent for reporting.
Our clinicians will receive your report, review it, and email a copy to you. You can also request copies of your images if needed for onward care. If any abnormalities are found, our clinicians will contact you to discuss your results and next steps.
An echocardiogram, or 'echo', is a type of ultrasound scan for the heart. A small ultrasound probe is used to generate images of the heart and the surrounding blood vessels to find out how your heart is working, investigate symptoms, and diagnose and monitor heart conditions.
The most common type of echocardiogram uses sticky electrodes placed on your chest, and an ultrasound probe that is moved across your chest.
An echocardiogram is a type of ultrasound scan specially for the heart. It uses high frequency sound waves produced by a transducer (probe) that is moved across the skin of your chest. The sound waves bounce off the heart structures and echo back to the transducer. It records the echoes and uses them to create pictures of your heart on a screen. It is generally carried out either by a sonographer, cardiac physiologist, or cardiologist.
An echocardiogram (echo) is useful in detecting and assessing damage to the heart, along with any issues with its functionality, and abnormalities in shape and size. The images produced by an echo show the heart valves, heart walls, heart chambers, and how strong the heart is beating in real-time.
Meanwhile, an ECG or Electrocardiogram is a different type of test used to measure the electrical activity and your heart's rhythm. The results are displayed as a graph, rather than an image. An ECG can help investigate palpitations, irregular heartbeats, coronary heart disease and more.
Preparations for a transthoracic echocardiogram are minimal. You will be asked to undress on your top half, lie down on a flat bed, and an ultrasound probe is moved over the skin of your chest. You may be given a hospital gown for your comfort before and after the scan.
The whole procedure usually takes between 20-30 minutes to complete. It should not cause you any discomfort and you can return to your day as normal afterwards.
If your doctors decide an echocardiogram is required, it could be for monitoring or diagnostic purposes.
If you are experiencing symptoms such as chest pain, irregular heartbeat, palpitations, dizziness, high blood pressure or shortness of breath, the detailed images produced by an echocardiogram can help identify heart problems and heart defects that may be the cause. If you have a known heart problem such as heart valve disease, echocardiogram can be used to monitor the condition.
An echocardiogram will show the structure of the heart and nearby blood vessels, to check how blood flows through the heart. Echocardiograms can show problems with the heart including an infection of the valves (endocarditis), thickened heart walls (cardiomyopathy), heart failure, or damage to the heart muscle caused by a heart attack. The scan may also reveal problems with the normal workings of the heart that could be caused by congenital heart disease (birth defects).
When you book a private echocardiogram scan with Scan.com, you'll receive a full, end-to-end package of care for £250.
The cost of an echocardiogram scan varies depending on the pricing set by the individual scanning centres.
Quick and easy referral process, with support from a dedicated expert clinician
Your echocardiogram scan, at a selected location near you
Digital access to your radiologist's report, and the option to request copies of your images as required
If there are any next steps or adverse findings, our expert clinicians will provide a post-scan phone consultation to explain your echo scan results and treatment options
If you have any questions about booking an scan with us, visit our FAQ guide.
Can't see an answer to your question? Our friendly patient care team are happy to help.
Echocardiograms do not use ionising radiation like CT or X-ray scans. Instead, echo is an ultrasound test that uses sound waves. Generally, a standard echocardiogram safe procedure because there are no radiation risks and the test is non-invasive.
Internal echocardiograms (TOE) are semi invasive and can have more risks of complications such as damage to the oesophagus, or side effects from sedation. You may be drowsy after sedation so you will not be able to drive or operate heavy machinery for 24 hours afterwards. The same can be said of scans using contrast, as it is possible to have an allergic reaction to the contrast agent. A serious allergic reaction is rare.
If you're having a stress echocardiogram and you have heart problems, there is a risk of the procedure triggering a cardiac event. However, you will be carefully monitored, usually by a heart specialist, while undergoing physical activity such as on a stationary bike. This is to ensure you stop if any problems occur.
Scan.com usually provides results within 7 working days of your scan. On the NHS, it can take around 4 weeks to receive your echocardiogram results.
Private echocardiograms are available at a range of private hospitals and imaging clinics nationwide. Scan.com lets you compare centres across the UK, including sites in major cities like London, Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow, Cardiff and more.
Private echocardiograms vary in price depending on the type of scan you need and the individual prices set by the scanning centres we work with. Generally they fall within the £200-£500 range.
A key benefit of booking with Scan.com is that you do not need a GP referral to access our services. There is also no self-referral process. Instead, our in-house medical team will contact you once you have booked and made payment for your scan. Our clinicians will ask you for all of the relevant information they need to compile a referral on your behalf, which is then passed on to your chosen scanning site.
Yes, we do offer cancellations and refunds, though depending on the status of your booking this may incur a £50 cancellation fee. For more information, visit our terms and conditions.
Meet our team of expert radiologists, osteopaths, physiotherapists and general practitioners. They're here to provide the highest standards of care throughout your scanning journey.
Dr. Khalid Latief
BMSc, MBChB, FRCP, FRCR
Jasper Nissim
D.O.
Emma Ross
D.O.
Simon Thurgood
Mark Piper
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