Holter Monitor Cost UK (2026): 24-Hour Test From £199, 48-Hour and 7-Day Prices
A private Holter monitor (a 24-hour heart monitor, worn for up to 7 days) costs from £199 posted to your door, £240 fitted in a clinic and £349 at a private hospital for 24 hours, rising to £370 to £820 for 7 days. We checked the prices at five UK providers in October 2026. Below: the Holter monitor cost by duration and provider, London prices, which duration you actually need, self-referral, and whether insurance pays.
Quick Answer
A private 24-hour Holter monitor costs from £199 as a posted device with a cardiologist report, £240 to £250 fitted at a clinic, and £349 at a private hospital. 48 hours runs £260 to £605 and 7 days £370 to £820; a 14-day patch is about £590. Prices include the device, analysis and written report; a consultation to discuss the result is usually extra.
The decision that matters more than price: match the duration to how often your symptoms happen. Daily, 24 hours; every couple of days, 48 hours; weekly or less, 7 days or a 14-day patch. Self-referral is widely available, and insurance pays when a GP or cardiologist refers you and the test is pre-authorised, never for a self-booked test.
On this page
- Holter monitor prices by duration
- Verified prices, provider by provider
- Holter monitor test in London
- Which duration you actually need
- Holter vs patch vs event monitor
- How the test works
- What it detects, and what it cannot
- Self-referral vs referred
- The NHS route and the wait
- Does insurance cover it?
- Other heart tests and what they cost
- Frequently asked questions
Holter Monitor Prices by Duration
Private Holter pricing is driven by how long you wear it and where you get it: posted devices with remote reporting are cheapest, Harley Street and private hospitals dearest. These ranges are the lowest and highest verified prices we found in October 2026.
| Duration | Verified UK price range | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| 24-hour Holter | £199 to £349 | Daily symptoms; the standard first test |
| 48-hour Holter | £260 to £605 | Symptoms every couple of days |
| 72-hour Holter | £300 to £616 | Symptoms a few times a week |
| 7-day Holter | £370 to £820 | Weekly or infrequent symptoms |
| 14-day patch monitor | About £590 | Rare, hard-to-catch episodes |
What is usually included: the device (fitted or posted with a pre-paid return), the recording, analysis by a cardiac physiologist, and a written report reviewed by a cardiologist, which can be sent to your GP. What to check before booking: whether a follow-up consultation to discuss the result is included or charged separately, and the report turnaround, since that is what you are really waiting for.
Verified Prices, Provider by Provider
These are published prices we checked in October 2026. They change, so confirm before booking.
| Provider | How it works | 24 hours | 48 hours | 7 days | Referral? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HeartTec Solutions (UK-wide, posted) | Device delivered to your door, worn at home, cardiologist-reviewed report; 24h to 14 days | From £199 | Varies by duration | Varies by duration | No |
| Total Health West Berkshire (Thatcham, posted) | Device posted within 24 to 48 hours; results in 1 to 3 days; report shareable with your GP | £250 | Within £250 to £370 | £370 | Not required to order |
| London Cardiology Clinics (Harley St, Ealing, Richmond) | Fitted in clinic; report aimed within hours of return; myPatch remote option | £240 | £260 | £420 | No |
| KIMS Hospital (Maidstone, Kent) | Private hospital; cardiac physiologist report to your GP or consultant | £349 | £605 | £820 | Clinician referral |
| The National Heart Clinic (Harley St, London) | Same-day fitting; traditional, patch, event and wireless monitors | From £390 | £390 to £900 for 24 hours to 14 days | Ask the clinic | |
The pattern is clear: a posted device with remote reporting costs roughly half what a hospital charges for the same recording, and the analysis is done by the same kind of cardiac physiologist and cardiologist. What you give up is a face-to-face fitting and, at the hospital, the option of seeing the cardiologist on the same site afterwards. Prices at the big hospital groups (every private hospital near you) tend to sit with KIMS rather than the clinics.
Holter Monitor Test in London
London has the most choice and the widest price spread. London Cardiology Clinics charges £240 for 24 hours, £260 for 48 hours, £300 for 72 hours and £420 for 7 days at Harley Street, Ealing and Richmond, with no referral needed and a report aimed within hours of the device coming back; its myPatch remote service is £295 for 24 to 48 hours and £590 for 14 days. The National Heart Clinic on Harley Street runs from £390 to £900 depending on duration and monitor type, with same-day fitting. If you want the test inside a hospital, London Bridge Hospital and The Harley Street Clinic have cardiology departments that fit monitors on referral, at hospital prices. For a broader London picture see private heart scans in London and private echocardiogram in London.
Which Duration You Actually Need
Match the monitor to how often your symptoms happen, because the whole point is to catch an episode while you are wearing it:
- Daily symptoms (palpitations or missed beats most days): a 24-hour monitor usually catches them, and it is the cheapest.
- Every couple of days: 48 hours, which many clinicians treat as the sensible default.
- Weekly or less often: a 7-day Holter or 14-day patch, far more likely to record an infrequent event.
- Less than weekly: an event monitor worn for weeks, which records when you press a button or it detects an abnormality.
The commonest and costliest mistake is buying too short a test for infrequent symptoms: you wear it, nothing happens in the window, and you have paid for a normal result that proves nothing. When symptoms are irregular, the longer monitor is not upselling; it is the difference between an answer and a wasted £200.
Holter vs Patch vs Event Monitor
| Monitor | How long | Records | Suits | Typical private price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Holter (electrodes and recorder) | 24 hours to 7 days | Continuously | Daily to weekly symptoms | £199 to £820 |
| Patch (single sticker, no wires) | Up to 14 days | Continuously; shower-friendly | Weekly symptoms; people who dislike wires | £295 to £590 |
| Event monitor | 2 to 4 weeks or more | When triggered by you or an abnormal rhythm | Symptoms less than weekly | See our event monitor guide |
| Ambulatory blood pressure | 24 hours | Blood pressure, not rhythm | Suspected hypertension | See ambulatory BP monitoring |
How the Test Works
Simple and painless. Small adhesive electrodes are stuck to your chest and connected to a lightweight recorder worn on a strap or clipped to your clothing; patch versions are a single small sticker with no wires. You wear it continuously for the chosen period, keep a brief diary of any symptoms and exactly when they happen, and carry on with normal life (you can sleep, and shower with patch devices; traditional recorders usually must not get wet). Afterwards you return the device, the recording is analysed against your symptom diary, which is the whole value of the test, and a cardiologist reports the findings. Posted services include a pre-paid return. See how long private test results take.
What It Detects, and What It Cannot
What it is good at: intermittent rhythm problems a brief resting ECG misses: atrial fibrillation, extra or skipped beats, episodes of abnormally fast or slow heart rate, and linking palpitations, dizziness or blackouts to a specific rhythm event. It is the standard next test when “my ECG was normal but it keeps happening”.
What it cannot do: show blocked or narrowed arteries, because it records rhythm, not blood flow. If the concern is angina or coronary disease, a stress ECG or cardiac MRI is the right test. If the symptom is fainting rather than palpitations, a tilt table test is often what the cardiologist orders instead of, or as well as, a Holter. For the heart’s structure and pumping, an echocardiogram is the complementary test. If you are not sure which you need, that is a conversation for a GP or cardiologist before you spend.
Self-Referral vs Referred
Self-referral is widely available: complete an online questionnaire, have the device posted or fitted, wear it, return it, and a cardiologist reports the result. It is fast and convenient for investigating palpitations or missed beats. Two caveats. If your symptoms are severe (fainting, chest pain, breathlessness) see a doctor rather than self-referring, because you may need urgent assessment. And if you might claim on insurance, your insurer needs the referral even when the clinic does not. A private GP appointment, often included with health insurance, can confirm the Holter is the right test and issue the referral the same day.
The NHS Route and the Wait
On the NHS a Holter is free: your GP refers you to cardiology or a community diagnostic centre, you wait for the fitting, then for the report, then for a cardiology appointment to discuss it. Each step has a queue. The Nuffield Trust reported that 1 in 4 patients had waited six weeks or more for a diagnostic test in January 2026, and cardiology outpatient waits are often months. Many people pay £200 to £300 privately for the recording, then take the report back to their GP, which is allowed and keeps you in the NHS pathway for treatment. See mixing NHS and private treatment and the NHS waiting times hub.
Does Insurance Cover a Holter Monitor?
Covered: a diagnostic Holter investigating new symptoms, requested by a GP or cardiologist, pre-authorised, and within your outpatient limit. It is a recognised cardiac diagnostic, so most policies with outpatient cover pay, and they pay for the cardiologist consultations either side of it.
Not covered: a monitor you self-referred and booked yourself (your insurer has to have authorised it), and anything for a heart condition you already had before the policy started. The sequence that avoids a rejected claim: see your GP or the insurer’s digital GP, get the referral, pre-authorise, then book. More in does health insurance cover diagnostics? and pre-existing conditions. Weighing whether cover is worth it for future heart investigations: is private health insurance worth it? and insurance or self-pay?
Other Heart Tests and What They Cost
A Holter is one of several tests a cardiologist may order. Our guides to each, with verified prices: echocardiogram (heart structure and pumping), stress ECG (exercise test for angina), cardiac MRI, tilt table test (fainting), event monitor (infrequent palpitations), 24-hour blood pressure monitoring, blood pressure checks and a full private heart health check. Every scan and test is in the scans and tests hub, and blood tests in private blood tests UK.
FAQs: Holter Monitor Cost (2026)
How much does a 24-hour Holter test cost privately in the UK?
In October 2026 a private 24-hour Holter monitor costs from about £199 posted to your home with a cardiologist report, £240 to £250 fitted at a clinic, and £349 at a private hospital. Prices almost always include the device, the analysis and a written report; a consultation with a cardiologist to discuss the result is usually extra. London clinics on Harley Street charge from £240 up to £390 and beyond for same-day fitting and reporting.
How much is a 48-hour or 7-day heart monitor?
Prices rise with duration. Verified October 2026 prices run from £260 (clinic) to £605 (hospital) for 48 hours, and from £370 (posted) through £420 (London clinic) to £820 (hospital) for 7 days. A 14-day patch monitor costs around £590. The cheapest route for any duration is a posted device with remote cardiologist reporting.
Which Holter duration do I need: 24 hours, 48 hours or 7 days?
Match the duration to how often your symptoms happen, because the point is to record one. Daily symptoms: 24 hours usually catches them. Every couple of days: 48 hours. Weekly or less often: a 7-day or 14-day patch, which is far more likely to record an infrequent event. The commonest mistake is buying too short a test for infrequent symptoms and recording nothing. A cardiologist or GP can advise if you are unsure.
Can I get a Holter monitor without a GP referral?
Yes. Several UK providers offer self-referral: you complete a medical questionnaire, the device is posted to you or fitted at a clinic, you wear it, return it, and a cardiologist or cardiac physiologist reports the result, often within one to three days. If your symptoms include fainting, chest pain or breathlessness, see a doctor rather than self-referring, because you may need urgent assessment. If you plan to claim on insurance, your insurer still needs a referral even when the clinic does not.
Does health insurance cover a Holter monitor?
Usually yes, when it is diagnostic: investigating new symptoms, requested by a GP or cardiologist, pre-authorised, and within your outpatient limit. A Holter is a standard cardiac diagnostic, so most policies with outpatient cover pay for it. A monitor you self-referred and booked yourself is not claimable, and heart conditions you already had before the policy started are excluded on new policies. Get the referral, pre-authorise, then book.
What does a Holter monitor detect, and what can it miss?
A Holter records your heart’s rhythm continuously while you live normally, so it catches intermittent problems a brief resting ECG misses: atrial fibrillation, extra or skipped beats, episodes of fast or slow heart rate, and whether your palpitations, dizziness or blackouts line up with a rhythm change. It cannot show blocked or narrowed arteries; that needs a stress ECG, a CT coronary angiogram or a cardiac MRI. And it can only record events that happen while you are wearing it.
What is the difference between a Holter, a patch monitor and an event monitor?
A Holter is the classic recorder with chest electrodes, worn for 24 hours to 7 days and recording continuously. A patch monitor is a single adhesive sticker with no wires, worn for up to 14 days, also recording continuously, and easier to shower with. An event monitor is worn for weeks and records only when you press a button or it detects an abnormal rhythm, which suits symptoms that happen less than weekly. Our event monitor guide covers that option.
How long do Holter monitor results take?
Privately, a few working days at most. Posted-device services typically report within one to three working days of the device arriving back; some London clinics aim to report within hours of the monitor being returned, and offer same-day fitting. Ask about the report turnaround when you book, because the analysis and cardiologist review are what you are waiting for, not the fitting.
Medical and Pricing Disclaimer
This guide is general information, not medical advice. If you have severe symptoms, such as fainting, chest pain or breathlessness, seek medical attention rather than self-referring a monitor; in an emergency call 999. Whether a Holter is the right test, and what any result means, are matters for your GP or cardiologist. Prices are published prices checked with the named providers in October 2026 and change; confirm current prices, what is included and referral requirements directly with the clinic, and check providers are CQC-registered. NHS diagnostic waiting figures are from the Nuffield Trust for January 2026. Insurance cover depends on your policy; confirm pre-authorisation with your insurer before booking. Going Private UK is not affiliated with any provider named. If you compare quotes through this site, we may receive a commission from our FCA-regulated partners at no cost to you; this does not influence our guides.
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