If you feel well but want to understand your heart health, a consultation can help put your family history, cholesterol, blood pressure and lifestyle into context. This heart health check is a cardiovascular risk assessment with Dr Mark Cassar, not a fixed package of scans. The aim is to understand your risk and agree what, if anything, needs to change.
Heart health check
Private heart health check in Basingstoke
If you have symptoms, do not wait for a check
If you have chest pain, breathlessness, palpitations, or dizziness or blackouts, contact your GP for assessment rather than waiting for a routine check-up. If a clinician has found a heart murmur, arrange the assessment they recommend.
Call 999 for sudden, severe or persistent chest pain, particularly with sweating, feeling sick, breathlessness or pain spreading to your arm, jaw or back. Do not wait for a private appointment. [1]
Who might benefit from a heart health check?
An assessment may be helpful if you have a reason to be concerned about your risk, even without symptoms. Reasons to discuss a check include:
- A close relative who developed heart disease at a young age.
- Raised cholesterol or blood pressure.
- Diabetes.
- Smoking now or in the past.
- Planning strenuous exercise, particularly with a family history or other risk factors.
- An abnormal result you would like explained.
Age is also part of the assessment, but there is no single birthday at which everyone needs a private check or a scan. The value lies in identifying risks you can act on, rather than looking for every possible abnormality. [2,3]
What the check involves
The starting point is a conversation about your health and what prompted you to book. Every assessment includes:
- A review of any symptoms, your medical and family history, and your medication.
- Discussion of smoking, alcohol, food and physical activity.
- Blood pressure measurement and a physical examination.
- An ECG, a recording of the heart's electrical activity.
- Review of any previous results you have available.
Dr Cassar considers these findings together. Where an appropriate risk calculator can help, he will explain the estimate in plain numbers, what it means for you, and its limitations, rather than giving you a score without an explanation. [2]
For practical information about preparing for your visit and what happens afterwards, see your first private cardiology appointment.
Further tests, only when they will help
Each additional test needs a clinical reason. Dr Cassar will explain the question it would answer, whether the result could change your care and the separate charge before it is arranged.
- Blood tests, including cholesterol testing: where previous results are unavailable, out of date or need clarification.
- Echocardiogram: a heart function scan where the assessment suggests a question about the heart's structure, valves or pumping function.
- 24-hour blood pressure monitoring: where readings are uncertain or need confirmation outside the consultation.
- CT coronary angiogram with a calcium score: considered only where the result would change treatment, not as a stand-alone calcium score; guidelines do not support its use for routine screening in people without symptoms. It uses X-ray radiation and an injection of contrast dye into a vein. [3,4]
More testing is not always more helpful: false alarms can lead to unnecessary investigations, while incidental findings may never affect your health. [3,5]
What a heart check can and cannot tell you
Understanding risk
The assessment can identify risk factors and help you decide which changes or treatments are worthwhile. It cannot predict with certainty whether you will develop heart disease. [2]
Understanding normal results
Normal results can be reassuring about what was assessed, but they do not rule out all heart disease or remove future risk. A normal ECG alone cannot exclude every heart problem. [5,6]
A starting point for prevention
Risk changes over time. The useful outcome is a plan you can follow, with review when appropriate, rather than a permanent certificate of good heart health. [2]
After your check
You will receive a written summary explaining the findings and agreed next steps. With your permission, a letter can be sent to your GP. Follow-up is arranged only if needed.
Your plan may involve changes to daily habits, discussion of medication, further investigation or continuing care with your GP. If no additional testing is needed, Dr Cassar will explain why. [2]
The free NHS Health Check
In England, adults aged 40 to 74 without certain existing conditions are invited for a free NHS Health Check, usually through their GP. This is an established route to assessing cardiovascular risk. A private consultant assessment offers time with a cardiologist, specialist interpretation of your findings and additional tests where clinically indicated; it does not replace ongoing NHS care. Read about NHS Health Check eligibility. [7]
Who you will see
Dr Mark Cassar is a consultant cardiologist at Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, with advanced accreditation in echocardiography, cardiac CT and cardiac MRI. He holds a DPhil from the University of Oxford, where he researched the effects of viral illness on the heart and other organs. Read about Dr Cassar.
Fees and booking
This is the standard initial cardiology consultation, not a separate check-up package. The initial consultation fee is £250. Tests are charged separately, with fees confirmed when booking.
Consultations are at Candover Clinic and The Hampshire Clinic, both in Basingstoke. Self-pay patients do not need a GP referral; insured patients should check their policy's referral and authorisation rules.
Book consultation or call 020 3198 9826.
Or call 020 3198 9826 or email [email protected]
Frequently asked questions
Is a heart check worth it if I feel well?
It may be useful if you have risk factors or a specific concern. Feeling well does not tell you your blood pressure or cholesterol level, but it does not mean everyone needs specialist tests. Your GP can also discuss risk assessment. [2,7]
Which tests do I need to check my heart health?
There is no single test that gives a complete picture. The assessment starts with your history, blood pressure, examination, an ECG and review of previous results. Blood tests or scans are added only when there is a clinical reason and the result would help guide your care.
How often should I have a heart check?
There is no fixed schedule for private cardiology checks. The interval depends on your findings, existing conditions and any treatment. Dr Cassar will explain whether you need further review. [2]
Do I need a GP referral?
Self-pay patients can book directly; see the first-appointment guide for practical details.
Does insurance cover a heart health check?
Check with your insurer before booking. Many policies do not cover checks without symptoms; ask specifically whether the consultation and any proposed tests are covered. Do not assume that authorisation for one includes the other.
Sources
- NHS. Chest pain.
- NICE. Cardiovascular disease: risk assessment and reduction, including lipid modification, NG238, particularly recommendations 1.1.7 to 1.1.18.
- European Society of Cardiology. 2024 ESC Guidelines for the management of chronic coronary syndromes, section 5.4, screening in asymptomatic individuals.
- British Heart Foundation. CT scans for your heart.
- NHS. NHS screening, including benefits and limitations.
- British Heart Foundation. Tests for heart conditions, ECG limitations.
- NHS. NHS Health Check.
Not an emergency service. Call 999 for a medical emergency. Do not wait for a private appointment. Medical information disclaimer.