ECG tests are often the first step in investigating symptoms such as palpitations, chest pain or shortness of breath. They can show how well your heart is pumping, assess your heart rhythm, detect signs of heart damage and help monitor progress after procedures like angioplasty or bypass surgery.

There are several types of ECG we can offer depending on your needs.

• A standard resting ECG: This is carried out as an outpatient procedure and takes about an hour. You’ll have electrode patches stuck onto your skin at various points on your chest, arms and legs and the electrical activity of your heart will be measured while you sit quietly for about 15 minutes.
• An exercise ECG: This is used to investigate what happens to your heart when you’re active, either on an exercise bike or a treadmill. The pace will be easy to start with and then you will be asked to exercise harder. You can stop at any time if you experience chest pain or discomfort. 
• A 24-hour ambulatory ECG: You’ll be fitted with electrodes at your appointment. These are attached to a monitor that you wear on a belt around your waist. You’ll leave the clinic with the device and wear it for 24 hours while the pattern of your heartbeat is monitored constantly as you go about your day.
• Cardiac event monitoring:  A longer-term ECG that can be carried out using a recording device placed under your skin. This can monitor your heart function for up to a year. You can also use other devices that aren’t implanted, but require you to hold them to your chest should you experience symptoms such as palpitations.

No, ECGs are completely painless. We’ll place small electrodes on your chest, arms and legs to measure your heart’s electrical activity. You may feel a little sticky from the patches, but the procedure itself is comfortable and safe.

The time varies depending on which ECG you’re having. A resting ECG usually takes around 15 minutes, though the full appointment may last about an hour. Exercise ECGs vary depending on your fitness level, and ambulatory ECGs or long-term monitors allow you to continue your normal activities while your heart is tracked. Your doctor will explain exactly what to expect and review the results with you afterward.