Echocardiogram Cost London — What’s Included

Yes. The headline prices on this page are the actual self-pay amount for each scan, inclusive of the scan itself, the consultant-level practitioner, verbal feedback, and the written report within 24 hours. We do not add reporting fees, booking fees, card surcharges, or separate charges for sending the report to your GP. The only time the final cost would exceed the headline price is if you choose to add an optional extra (such as an ECG or blood test) — and that is agreed with you before booking.

Not usually. The echocardiogram price includes the scan and a formal written report — the written report is what most patients need to take to their GP or existing cardiologist. A separate face-to-face cardiologist consultation is an optional extra (from £250) and is only recommended if the echo finding is complex or you want a full clinical review. A stress echo or TOE is different — these always include consultant cardiologist supervision as standard, because the procedure itself requires it.

For standard echocardiograms, payment is taken at the appointment or in advance when booking — the amounts are not high enough to need structured payment plans. For higher-value scans such as TOE, or for comprehensive packages, we accept split payments or deposit-plus-balance arrangements on request. Please call to discuss if this would help.

Standard echo, stress echo, and contrast echo: cancellations made more than 24 hours before the appointment are free. Cancellations within 24 hours may attract a fee. TOE: we ask for at least 48 hours' notice because the procedure requires a consultant cardiologist and sedation clinician to be rostered. Late cancellations of TOE appointments within 24 hours may be charged at the full rate. In all cases, rescheduling is preferred over outright cancellation and is usually fee-free.

Most UK private medical insurers cover echocardiography when there is a clinical indication. Sonoworld is recognised by Bupa, AXA Health, Aviva, Vitality, and other major insurers. However, coverage varies by policy — some require a GP referral letter, some require pre-authorisation, and some have outpatient limits that apply. The three checks we recommend before booking: confirm your policy covers echocardiography, obtain any required referral letter, and get your authorisation code. If you are unsure, call us and we will help.

Different scans have different resource requirements. A standard echo is a single-practitioner scan lasting 30–45 minutes with no drugs or consumables. A stress echo adds a consultant cardiologist supervising throughout, plus equipment (treadmill) or drugs (dobutamine) — and takes 60–90 minutes. A TOE involves two clinicians (a consultant cardiologist and a sedation clinician), sedation monitoring, recovery care, and 2–3 hours of total clinic time. Contrast echo requires cannulation and a licensed ultrasound contrast agent. The price difference reflects the actual cost of delivering each scan safely and to published standards.

Yes. The base fee for each scan is identical whether you are self-pay or insurance-funded. We do not charge insurance patients a different rate from self-pay patients — any difference in what you actually pay out-of-pocket depends on your policy excess and shortfall, not on a different headline price. This is a deliberate transparency principle.

Yes. An itemised invoice or receipt is issued with every payment and emailed to you automatically. If you need an invoice in a specific format — for employer reimbursement, overseas insurance, or tax purposes — let us know at the time of booking and we will produce one that meets the requirement.

No. Our prices reflect the actual cost of delivering consultant-level cardiac imaging to BSE standards, and we think a race to the lowest price is the wrong lens for private healthcare. What we do offer is full transparency — every price published, every inclusion listed, and no hidden fees — so you can compare like-for-like with any other clinic and make the decision on the basis of what is actually being delivered rather than the headline number alone.

Neither better nor worse, in clinical terms. NHS cardiac departments use the same BSE minimum dataset standards we do, and our sonographers are accredited to the same professional standards required in NHS practice. The differences that matter are speed of access, the length of the appointment, the private environment, and how quickly you receive a written report (within 24 hours in our case). If you are happy to wait for an NHS referral and appointment, an NHS echo is a perfectly good option. Most of our patients choose us because they want answers faster — that is the value we charge for, not better-quality imaging than the NHS.

Prices are reviewed annually, usually in April. The prices shown on this page are valid from April 2026. If you book an appointment at a confirmed price, that price is locked in for your appointment — you will not be asked to pay a higher amount at the door even if the annual review happens between booking and attendance.