12 lead ECG
Your heart rhythm and electrical activity at rest, in about 10 minutes
Often used for palpitations, chest pain, dizziness, checks before treatment
Echocardiogram in Kingston
An echocardiogram is an ultrasound scan of your heart. At KONCEPT® Medical Clinic in Kingston it costs £450, takes about 30 to 40 minutes and is reported by our cardiologist, Dr Ameer Al-Bassam. It uses no radiation and no GP referral is needed if you pay for yourself.
An echocardiogram, or echo, is an ultrasound scan of your heart, like the scans used in pregnancy. A small probe on your chest sends out sound waves that build a moving picture of your heart, so the cardiologist can see it beating.
It shows the size and shape of your heart, how strongly it pumps, how well the valves open and close, and whether the heart muscle is thickened. It also uses no radiation and is painless.
You might need an echocardiogram if you are breathless, have a heart murmur or swollen ankles, have had an abnormal ECG, or if the cardiologist needs to look at your heart muscle or valves.
To check how well your heart is pumping.
To see whether a heart valve is narrowed or leaking.
To check for thickening or strain of the heart muscle.
Such as cardiomyopathy in the family, or keeping an eye on a known valve problem.
An echocardiogram at KONCEPT® takes about 30 to 40 minutes. There is nothing you need to do before your scan.
An echocardiogram can show how well your heart pumps, problems with the heart valves, thickening or weakness of the heart muscle, enlarged heart chambers, and fluid around the heart.
Dr Ameer Al-Bassam reports your scan and explains what it means for you. With your consent, we also send a copy to your NHS GP.
At KONCEPT® we do a transthoracic echocardiogram, the standard heart ultrasound where the probe is placed on your chest. It is also the most common type of echo.
Other types, such as a stress echo or a transoesophageal echo (TOE), where the probe is passed down the throat, are done in hospital. If you need one, the cardiologist will explain why and where it can be done, and the choice of hospital is yours.
An echocardiogram looks at the structure and pumping of your heart. An ECG and a Holter monitor, however, look at its rhythm, and 24 hour blood pressure monitoring checks your blood pressure. If you are not sure which you need, start with a cardiology consultation.
Your heart rhythm and electrical activity at rest, in about 10 minutes
Often used for palpitations, chest pain, dizziness, checks before treatment
Every heartbeat through your normal days and nights
Often used for palpitations, dizzy spells or blackouts that come and go
Your blood pressure through a normal day and night
Often used for confirming or ruling out high blood pressure, checking treatment
The structure, pumping and valves of your heart
Often used for breathlessness, a heart murmur, swollen ankles, an abnormal ECG
A specialist assessment that decides which tests you need
Often used for any heart symptom or concern
A private echocardiogram at KONCEPT® in Kingston costs £450. The price includes the scan, a report from our cardiologist and a fixed price confirmed in writing before you book.
Many private medical insurance policies cover an echocardiogram when it is needed to investigate symptoms, if your policy includes outpatient cover. For your insurer to pay, the clinic and the cardiologist usually both need to be recognised by that insurer, and most insurers ask for a GP or open referral and a pre authorisation number first.
Please call 020 8129 1011 with your insurer and policy number before you book, so we can confirm your cover in writing. If you pay for yourself, no GP referral is needed.
Echocardiograms at KONCEPT® are carried out and reported by Dr Ameer Al-Bassam, a specialist and interventional cardiologist on the GMC Specialist Register for cardiology. In the NHS at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust he reports echocardiograms, including transoesophageal echocardiograms.
Dr Ameer Al-Bassam
GMC: 7471608
Specialist and interventional cardiologist · Chelsea and Westminster NHS. Clinic dates: call 020 8129 1011.
Read full bio →About 30 to 40 minutes at KONCEPT®.
Yes. A standard echocardiogram uses ultrasound, not radiation, and is a very safe test.
No. Eat and drink as normal and take your usual medicines. Wear a top you can remove easily, as a gown is provided.
An ECG records the electrical activity and rhythm of your heart. An echocardiogram is an ultrasound scan that shows the structure of your heart, its pumping and its valves. Many people need both.
No. The probe can press firmly on your chest and the gel feels cold, but the scan should not hurt.
No, not if you are paying for yourself. If you are using health insurance, please call us first to check your cover.
A private echocardiogram at KONCEPT® in Kingston costs £450, including the report from our cardiologist.
As the cardiologist carries out the scan himself, he can often explain the main findings at the end of the scan. You also receive a written report.
Not directly. An echocardiogram shows the heart muscle, chambers and valves, not the coronary arteries. It can show areas of heart muscle that are not moving normally, which can be a sign of a past heart attack.
An ECG shows the electrical activity of the heart. If it suggests strain or thickening of the heart muscle, or a murmur is heard, an echocardiogram shows the structure of the heart behind it.
KONCEPT® Medical Clinic is registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC). Medical Director Dr Maryam Attarzadeh (GMC 7193218). Page medically reviewed by Dr Maryam Attarzadeh, 29 October 2026.
Clinical information: NHS, echocardiogram.
46 to 48 Wood Street, Kingston upon Thames, KT1 1UW · 020 8129 1011 · info@konceptmedicalclinic.com