Heart screening is a check for people without symptoms who want to know their future heart risk. It combines blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar tests with an ECG, plus a heart scan if needed. Dr Navin Chandra, consultant cardiologist, reviews the results with your family history and explains your risk. He sees patients in Ascot, Slough, Windsor and Wexham.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Who is it for? | Adults without symptoms who have a family history, risk factors or simply want to know |
| What is checked? | Your history, blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar and an ECG, with an echo or exercise test if needed |
| How long does it take? | Usually one to two hours, depending on the tests |
| What do I leave with? | Your results, an estimate of your 10-year risk and a plan |
| Is it the NHS Health Check? | No. That free check is for people aged 40 to 74, offered every 5 years |
| How do I book? | Call 020 7099 9685 or use the online booking form |
What Is Heart Screening?
This kind of check looks for risk factors and early signs of heart and blood vessel disease before symptoms start. Raised blood pressure and raised cholesterol rarely produce symptoms, so testing is the only way to find them. The free NHS Health Check covers some of these for people aged 40 to 74.
Here a consultant interprets the results. Dr Chandra weighs each one against your family history and lifestyle. If something needs a closer look, he can arrange the next test or treatment himself.
Already Having Symptoms? Get Urgent Help, Not a Screen
This check is designed for people who feel well. Symptoms change the plan, and some of them need help today.
| Symptom | Why it matters | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Sudden chest pain that does not go away, or chest pain with sweating, feeling sick or short of breath | It could be a heart attack | Call 999 |
| Palpitations now that do not settle, or that come with chest pain, breathlessness or fainting | It may be a rhythm problem | Call 999 or go to A&E |
| Palpitations like these that have now stopped | They still need checking soon | Urgent GP appointment or NHS 111 |
| You have fainted | The cause needs finding | See a GP |
| Chest pain that comes and goes | It needs a medical opinion | See a GP or book a consultation |
Getting to A&E means a lift or an ambulance, never driving yourself. For a planned review of symptoms, a cardiology consultation for chest pain or one for palpitations is the right first step.
Who This Check Is For: Family History, Risk Factors and Age
Common reasons to have a check include:
- Early heart disease in the family: a close relative who had a heart attack or angina under the age of 60.
- High blood pressure or cholesterol: both raise risk and seldom cause symptoms.
- Diabetes or excess weight: both make heart and circulation problems more likely.
- Smoking or an inactive lifestyle: two risk factors that can be changed.
- Age and background: heart and circulation disease mainly affects people over 50, and risk is higher in some ethnic groups.
- An inherited condition or sudden death in the family: relatives may need specific tests.
- Taking up a new sport: athletes are covered on the sports cardiology page.
Standard Tests and Options for Further Checks
Each test below covers what it is, why it is included, its limit and when it happens.
Blood Pressure and Blood Tests
A cuff on your arm measures blood pressure, and a blood sample checks cholesterol and sugar. These are risk factors you can change. One raised reading does not confirm a problem, so repeat or home readings may follow. Fasting is needed only if the practice asks.
ECG and Rhythm Monitoring
An ECG records your heart’s rate and rhythm through sticky patches on the skin. A resting tracing lasts only a few minutes, so it can miss a rhythm that comes and goes. The heart rhythm management page explains those monitors.
Heart Ultrasound (Echocardiogram)
An echo is added when your history or examination raises a question about the heart’s structure or valves. What the scan involves is set out on the cardiac imaging page.
Exercise Test
An exercise test records your heart while you walk on a treadmill. Dr Chandra adds it only when your history suggests your heart should be checked under effort.
Why Patients Choose Dr Chandra for Heart Screening
- A consultant reviews every result: Dr Chandra goes through each test himself and explains it to you in person.
- Prevention is part of his practice: cardiovascular disease prevention is one of his listed areas of work.
- Inherited heart conditions: his research has focused on inherited cardiac conditions and sports cardiology.
- A clear route onward: if a result needs follow-up, he can arrange imaging or treatment within his practice.
His background:
- Consultant cardiologist at Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust
- Specialty Lead for Cardiology at Brunel Medical School
- Clinical supervisor and mentor to cardiology fellows
- Member of the Royal College of Physicians from 2007, now a Fellow
Your 10-Year Heart Risk Score and What It Means
A risk score puts a figure on your chance of heart attack or stroke within 10 years. Across the NHS, a recognised tool called QRISK3 does this. NICE advises it for people aged 25 to 84 who do not already have cardiovascular disease (NICE NG238).
The score combines things you cannot change, such as age, sex, ethnicity and family history, with things you can. Smoking, blood pressure and cholesterol are among the factors that can change. NICE guidance prioritises a full formal assessment when the estimated 10-year risk reaches 10% or higher.
NICE treats some people, such as those with type 1 diabetes or inherited high cholesterol, as high risk without a score. Risk also rises with age, so the same results can give a higher score later. Dr Chandra explains what your figure means and which changes may lower it.
What a Normal Result Can and Cannot Tell You
A normal check is reassuring, but it is a snapshot rather than a promise. It cannot rule out every heart problem, and new symptoms later still need checking.
The UK National Screening Committee has looked at testing all young people for conditions linked to sudden cardiac death. In its December 2019 review, it did not recommend systematic population screening for people under 39 (UK NSC). It found the tests can miss some people and wrongly flag others, which can mean false reassurance or unnecessary tests.
For this reason, Dr Chandra bases each check on your own history and risk, not on testing everything. The practice article on how often to have a heart scan looks at repeat checks.
What Happens at Your Screening Appointment
- Book: choose a hospital and a time with the practice, by phone or online.
- Prepare: you receive instructions, which may include fasting before blood tests.
- History and examination: Dr Chandra asks about your health, relatives, smoking, alcohol and activity, then examines you.
- Tests: blood pressure, blood tests and an ECG, plus anything else your history calls for.
- Results and plan: he goes through each result and your risk estimate, then agrees the next steps with you.
Before any test, he talks through what it offers, its limits and the alternatives.
Where to Have Heart Screening With Dr Chandra
Checks with Dr Chandra take place across four hospitals in East Berkshire and South Buckinghamshire. Ask the practice which site has the full set of tests on your chosen day.
| Hospital | Address |
|---|---|
| The Parkside Suite, Heatherwood Hospital | Brook Ave, Ascot SL5 7GB |
| The Parkside Suite, Wexham Park Hospital | Wexham, Slough, Berkshire SL2 4HL |
| BMI Princess Margaret Hospital | Osborne Road, Windsor, Berkshire SL4 3SJ |
| Spire Thames Valley Hospital | Wexham Street, Wexham, Buckinghamshire SL3 6NH |
Clinic days differ between hospitals, so call 020 7099 9685 to check. Outside clinic hours, NHS 111 gives urgent advice.
Heart Screening Fees and Insurance
Screening prices do not appear on the website. The cost depends on which tests your check includes, and your 2026 quote is given when you book.
| Check | Fee |
|---|---|
| Screening consultation with core tests | Quoted when you book |
| Added echo or exercise test | Quoted when you book |
- Self-pay: ask for a written quote first, so you know exactly what is included.
- Insurance: ask your insurer whether a check without symptoms falls within your cover. Dr Chandra works with insurers such as Aviva, Vitality, Bupa, Cigna, WPA, Healix and AXA Health.
FAQs About Heart Screening
What does a heart health check include?
With Dr Chandra it covers your health and family history, an examination, blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar tests, and an ECG. An echo or exercise test is added only if your history calls for one.
How long does the check take?
Usually between one and two hours, depending on the tests you need. Most of that time goes on your history, the tests and talking through the results. The practice gives a closer estimate when you book.
Can I get a heart health check on the NHS?
Yes, if you are aged 40 to 74 and have no existing heart disease, kidney disease or diabetes. Your GP or council should invite you every 5 years. A nurse, pharmacist or healthcare assistant usually does it.
How often should I get my heart checked?
There is no single interval for everyone. Dr Chandra suggests one based on your age, risk factors and last results. Bear in mind that risk rises with age, even when your test results stay the same.
Should I get a heart screening if heart disease runs in my family?
Yes, it is worth asking about. Where a relative has a diagnosed inherited heart condition, the British Heart Foundation advises referral to a specialist centre for family testing. Close relatives who had a heart attack or angina before 60 also add to your risk.
Do I need to fast before the blood tests?
Sometimes. The practice tells you beforehand whether to fast and for how long. If you take regular medicines, ask whether to take them as usual on the day of your check.
Can a cholesterol test show heart problems?
Not directly. It shows whether your cholesterol is raised, which can clog blood vessels and raises the chance of heart problems. It is one part of your risk, read alongside blood pressure, smoking and family history.
What happens if something abnormal is found?
Dr Chandra explains the finding and what it may mean. Some results only need a repeat test or lifestyle changes. Others lead to a scan or a fuller heart assessment, which he can arrange.
Is a heart scan worth it if I feel well?
Not always. UK screening advice does not recommend scanning all young people, partly because results can mislead. A scan makes more sense when your history raises a specific question. Dr Chandra tells you whether one would help.
Does private medical insurance cover a heart check?
It depends on your policy. Check with your insurer before booking, as cover for checks without symptoms differs between plans. If it is not covered, the practice can give you a self-pay quote.
Book Heart Screening with Dr Navin Chandra
To arrange a check, contact the practice team:
- Phone: 020 7099 9685
- Email: enquiries@navinchandra.co.uk
- Online: the booking form, or the contact page for questions first
If symptoms start before your check, do not wait for it. Should chest pain begin and not settle, phone 999. NHS 111 gives urgent advice.