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
High Blood Pressure
High blood pressure rarely causes symptoms, so it is often found by chance. At KONCEPT® Medical Clinic in Kingston our cardiologist, Dr Ameer Al-Bassam, confirms whether you have it with 24 hour monitoring, checks whether it has affected your heart, and gives you a clear plan. No GP referral is needed if you pay for yourself.
High blood pressure means a clinic reading of 140/90 or higher that is confirmed by 24 hour or home monitoring. NICE guidance uses these levels:
A single high reading is not enough for a diagnosis, because blood pressure changes through the day and can rise when you are nervous in a clinic.
Usually not. Most people with high blood pressure feel well, which is why it is often found at a routine check, in a pharmacy or with a home monitor.
A clinic reading of 180/120 or higher is severe high blood pressure and needs prompt assessment by a doctor.
Most people with high blood pressure are looked after by their GP. Seeing a cardiologist helps when the diagnosis is uncertain, when blood pressure is hard to control, or when it may have affected the heart.
NICE suggests a specialist assessment for younger adults, to look for an underlying cause.
Blood pressure that stays high despite several medicines.
Very high or very variable readings, or high in the clinic but normal at home.
An abnormal ECG, palpitations, breathlessness, or thickened heart muscle on a scan.
NICE recommends confirming high blood pressure with 24 hour ambulatory monitoring when a clinic reading is between 140/90 and 180/120. A cuff on your arm takes readings through a normal day and night, which shows your usual blood pressure rather than one moment in a clinic.
At KONCEPT® in Kingston, 24 hour monitoring to confirm high blood pressure costs £225 and is reported by our cardiologist. Read about 24 hour blood pressure monitoring.
NICE recommends an ECG, blood tests for kidney function, blood sugar and cholesterol, a urine test for protein and blood, and an eye check for everyone diagnosed with high blood pressure. The cardiologist arranges the ones you need, and may add an echocardiogram if your ECG or examination suggests the heart muscle has thickened.
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
Treatment starts with lifestyle changes that lower blood pressure. Many people also need medicines, and NICE guidance sets out which to start with depending on your age and other conditions.
Most people take blood pressure medicines long term and have them reviewed by their GP. If an underlying cause is found, treating it can bring blood pressure down.
A high blood pressure assessment at KONCEPT® in Kingston starts with a £200 consultation with the cardiologist. 24 hour blood pressure monitoring costs £225 and an ECG £119, each with a report. You only pay for the tests you have, and your total is confirmed in writing first.
Many private medical insurance policies cover a blood pressure assessment 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.
You see Dr Ameer Al-Bassam, a specialist and interventional cardiologist on the GMC Specialist Register for cardiology, who also works in the NHS at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.
Dr Ameer Al-Bassam
GMC: 7471608
Specialist and interventional cardiologist · Chelsea and Westminster NHS. Clinic dates: call 020 8129 1011.
Read full bio →A clinic reading of 140/90 or higher may mean high blood pressure. NICE recommends confirming it with 24 hour or home monitoring before a diagnosis is made.
Stress can raise blood pressure for a short time, which is one reason a single clinic reading can be misleading. 24 hour monitoring shows your usual blood pressure.
It can usually be controlled rather than cured. Lifestyle changes can bring it down, and when a specific cause is found, treating that cause can help.
No. Keep taking your usual medicines unless your doctor has told you otherwise.
No, not if you are paying for yourself. If you are using health insurance, your insurer will usually ask for a referral and a pre authorisation number first.
Yes. KONCEPT® is at 46 to 48 Wood Street in central Kingston, opposite Kingston station, a short trip from Wimbledon, Surbiton, New Malden and Richmond.
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: NICE NG136, hypertension in adults and NHS, high blood pressure.
46 to 48 Wood Street, Kingston upon Thames, KT1 1UW · 020 8129 1011 · info@konceptmedicalclinic.com