OUR GP — Dundee · DiagnosticsECG & Heart RhythmRecordingA medical-grade 6-lead Kardia ECG, recorded in clinic in about 30 seconds, interpreted by a GP while you sit with us, and emailed to you as a PDF. Ideal for palpitations, an irregular pulse, or a suspected rhythm problem — no referral needed. Book an ECG +44 7857 761328 £20 as a consultation add-on £40 standalone recording Trace emailed to you GP-interpreted⏱ 30-second recording🩺 Reviewed by a GMC-registered GP📧 PDF trace emailed same day💷 From £20 with a consultationThe serviceA heart rhythm recording, while your symptoms are freshWe use the AliveCor KardiaMobile 6L — a six-lead, CE-marked personal ECG recorder — to capture your heart rhythm in clinic and explain it to you the same visit.An ECG (electrocardiogram) records the electrical activity of your heart. Most people picture the hospital version: ten sticky electrodes, a trolley-mounted machine, and undressing to the waist. That test — the 12-lead ECG — remains the gold standard, and there are things only it can do.But a great many of the questions we are actually asked in general practice are rhythm questions. Why does my heart flutter when I lie down? Is this pulse irregular? Should I be worried about these skipped beats? Do I have atrial fibrillation? For those questions, a 6-lead handheld recording is quick, comfortable, repeatable, and — for rhythm specifically — agrees very closely with a hospital 12-lead ECG.You place two thumbs on the top electrodes and rest the device on your bare left knee or ankle. Thirty seconds later there is a six-lead trace on screen. Your GP reads it with you, explains what it shows in plain English, and emails you the PDF.We do not offer 12-lead ECG at our Dundee clinicThe comparison on this page is here so you understand what a Kardia recording can and cannot answer. If your trace, your symptoms or your examination suggest you need a 12-lead ECG, an echocardiogram, ambulatory (Holter) monitoring or a cardiology opinion, we will tell you plainly and arrange it — by writing to your NHS GP, by urgent referral where that is appropriate, or by onward private referral if you prefer. £20 add-on£20 per Kardia ECG trace when added to any GP consultation. £40 for a standalone Kardia recording, including GP interpretation and the trace emailed to you. Book an ECG → Call to discussBefore your recordingCome as you are — no undressing neededBare skin below one knee, or an ankleWarm hands record better than cold onesRemove rings, watch and bracelets if you canNote when your symptoms happen — bring datesBring a list of your current medicationsYour appointmentWhat to expect at your ECG appointmentPainless, quick, and fully clothed. Most people are surprised by how little there is to it.1A short GP review firstWe ask what you have been feeling, when it happens, how long it lasts, and what else is going on — thyroid problems, caffeine, alcohol, new medication, anxiety, anaemia and dehydration all cause palpitations. We check your pulse and blood pressure. This context is what turns a trace into an answer.2Settling before the recordingYou sit quietly for a few minutes. We may warm your hands. Shivering, tremor, talking and movement all create artefact on the trace, so the calmer the start, the cleaner the recording.3The recording itself — about 30 secondsYou rest the left thumb on one top electrode and the right thumb on the other, and the underside of the device against bare skin on your left knee or ankle. Breathe normally, keep still and don’t talk. We can record for up to five minutes if we need a longer look, and we can take more than one strip in a sitting.4Your GP interprets it with youWe look at the six leads together on screen — rate, rhythm, regularity, P waves, the PR interval, QRS width and QT interval. The device’s own automated read (for example “Possible atrial fibrillation”, “Bradycardia”, “Tachycardia”, “Normal sinus rhythm”) is treated as a prompt, not a verdict. The GP’s interpretation is the one that counts.5The trace is emailed to youYou receive a PDF of your recording, usually the same day, with the GP’s interpretation. It is yours to keep, to show a cardiologist, or to hand to your NHS GP. If you would like it sent directly to your own GP practice, just ask.6A clear plan before you leaveThat may be straightforward reassurance. It may be bloods — thyroid function, full blood count, electrolytes — to look for a treatable cause. It may be repeat recordings at home, longer ambulatory monitoring, a 12-lead ECG, an echocardiogram, a stroke-risk assessment and anticoagulation discussion if we find atrial fibrillation, or referral to cardiology. You will not leave without knowing what happens next.At a glanceRecording time: 30 seconds to 5 minutesAppointment: around 10–15 minutesDiscomfort: none — no needles, no sticky padsUndressing: none beyond a sock or trouser legResult: explained on the dayReport: PDF emailed to youReferral needed: noThis is not an emergency serviceIf you have chest pain or pressure, pain spreading to the jaw or arm, sudden severe breathlessness, or you have collapsed or blacked out, call 999 now. A Kardia recording cannot rule out a heart attack. Do not delay emergency care to book an appointment with us.Back to top ↑The deviceThe KardiaMobile 6LA 24-gram, three-electrode recorder that captures six ECG leads — the same six limb leads found on a hospital 12-lead ECG. The KardiaMobile 6L records leads I, II, III, aVR, aVL and aVF. Image: AliveCor. How a six-lead recording is taken. Video: AliveCor.The difference12-lead ECG vs 6-lead Kardia traceThe number in the name is the number of viewpoints. More viewpoints means more of the heart is visible — but it also means a bigger, slower, less repeatable test. 6-lead KardiaSix views, all from the limbsLeads I, II, III, aVR, aVL and aVF. These are the limb leads: they look at the heart in the vertical (frontal) plane — roughly, from above, below and either side. They are excellent for answering “what is the rhythm, and how fast, and is it regular?” and good for measuring the PR interval, QRS width, QT interval and cardiac axis. 12-lead ECGThose same six, plus six across the chestThe same six limb leads plus V1–V6, the chest (precordial) leads, recorded from electrodes stuck across the front and side of the chest. These look at the heart in the horizontal plane and sit directly over the heart muscle — which is why they are the ones that show whether heart muscle is starved of blood, and where.Kardia 6L (in clinic with us)Hospital 12-lead ECGViews of the heart6 — limb leads only (I, II, III, aVR, aVL, aVF)12 — the same 6 plus chest leads V1–V6Electrodes3 stainless steel pads — two thumbs, one knee or ankle10 adhesive electrodes on chest, arms and legsUndressingNoneUndress to the waist; chest may need shavingTime30 seconds to 5 minutesRoughly 5–10 minutes including set-upWhereConsulting room, at home, at work, at the gymClinic or hospital with an ECG machine and trained operatorRepeatable?Yes — as often as you like, including during symptomsRarely — needs an appointment each timeRhythm & rateVery good. Near-perfect agreement with 12-lead for atrial fibrillation in validation studies1Very good — the reference standardIntervals (PR, QRS, QT)Good. Close agreement for PR and QRS; QT usable but ~1 in 5 traces were unsuitable for QT analysis in the largest head-to-head study1Very good — the reference standardIschaemia & heart attack (ST changes)Not reliable. Poor agreement with 12-lead in validation1 — no chest leads means large areas of heart muscle are simply not seenYes — this is what it is for, including which artery territory is affectedChamber enlargement / LVHLimited — standard voltage criteria need V1–V6YesParoxysmal (come-and-go) arrhythmiaOften better in practice — you can record at the moment symptoms strikeOnly if the arrhythmia happens to be present during that 10-second recordingTypical cost with us£20 as a consultation add-on · £40 standaloneNot offered at our clinic — arranged via NHS or private referralSuperscript numbers refer to the evidence section below.Back to top ↑Strengths and blind spotsWhat each one picks up — and what it doesn’tBeing honest about the blind spots is the point. A normal trace is only reassuring if you know what that trace was capable of seeing. 6-lead KardiaWhat it picks up wellAtrial fibrillation — the main thing it is validated forAtrial flutter, on clinician review of the traceNormal sinus rhythm — useful reassurance during symptomsSinus bradycardia (slow) and sinus tachycardia (fast)Heart rate, and whether the rhythm is regular or irregularEctopic beats — the “skipped” or “extra” beats people feelSupraventricular tachycardia captured during an episodeBroad-complex vs narrow-complex tachycardiaPR interval, QRS duration and cardiac axisFirst-degree heart block, and some higher-degree blockQT interval — with the caveat noted in the evidence belowSymptom-to-rhythm correlation: proof of what your heart was doing at the moment you felt itWhat it cannot seeAngina, ischaemia or a heart attack — no chest leads, poor ST agreementWhich artery territory is affected in a heart attackOld (previous) infarcts showing as Q waves in the chest leadsAnterior or posterior wall changes at allReliable left ventricular hypertrophy assessmentBrugada syndrome — needs leads V1–V2Reliable assessment of pre-excitation (WPW) and its locationPericarditis and pulmonary embolism patternsR-wave progression across the chestAnything happening when you are not recordingStructural problems — valves, heart muscle, heart failure (that needs an echocardiogram) 12-lead ECGWhat it picks up wellEverything in the Kardia list aboveMyocardial ischaemia and ST-elevation heart attack (STEMI)The territory of the heart affected — anterior, inferior, lateralEvidence of a previous, silent heart attackLeft ventricular hypertrophy and chamber enlargementBundle branch blocks and fascicular blocks in detailBrugada pattern, pre-excitation (WPW), long and short QT syndromesPericarditis, pulmonary embolism strain patternsElectrolyte effects such as hyperkalaemiaThe baseline required for many medicals, pre-operative checks, insurance and occupational assessmentsWhat it cannot seeAn arrhythmia that is not happening during the ~10 seconds it recordsParoxysmal AF between episodes — a normal 12-lead does not exclude itIntermittent palpitations you get once a fortnight at 3amStructural heart disease directly (again, that is an echocardiogram)Blocked arteries in someone with no symptoms and a normal traceThe honest summaryA 12-lead ECG is a better photograph of the heart. A Kardia is a better camera to have in your pocket. For an intermittent rhythm problem, the test that catches the event usually beats the test with more leads.Back to top ↑Weighing them upPros and cons of each 6-lead KardiaBenefitsFast. Thirty seconds, in the middle of a normal consultationComfortable and dignified. No undressing, no sticky pads, no shaving, nothing to pull off afterwardsRepeatable. Record again next week, or three times in one appointmentTimely. A recording taken while your heart is misbehaving is worth more than a perfect trace taken when it isn’tAffordable. £20 added to a consultation you were having anywayPortable evidence. A PDF you own, can email, and can take to a cardiologistWell-evidenced for rhythm. Kardia technology is NICE-recommended for detecting atrial fibrillation in people with suspected paroxysmal AF2LimitationsNo chest leads — cannot assess ischaemia or a heart attackSensitive to movement, tremor, cold hands and dry skin; some traces need repeatingThe automated interpretation is a screening aid, not a diagnosis — every trace needs clinician review2A snapshot: a normal 30 seconds does not prove a normal weekFormal guideline endorsement is strongest for the single-lead Kardia; the six-lead version has less appraised evidence behind it3 12-lead ECGBenefitsThe reference standard. Everything else is measured against itThe only one of the two that can assess ischaemia and localise a heart attackRequired for many diagnoses, medications, pre-operative checks and medicalsUniversally understood — every cardiologist, every hospital, every countryBetter for chamber enlargement, conduction disease and inherited electrical conditionsLimitationsTen electrodes, undressing, and sometimes chest shavingNeeds a machine, a trained operator and an appointmentStill only about ten seconds of recording — it misses what isn’t happening right thenNot something you can repeat on a Tuesday evening when the palpitations startNot offered at our clinic — we arrange it for you if it is neededBack to top ↑Clinical useConditions a Kardia trace helps us diagnoseAll findings are interpreted by a GP alongside your history and examination. A trace on its own is never the whole answer.Atrial fibrillation & flutterThe device’s core validated use. AF matters because it raises stroke risk, and because that risk is treatable. If we find it, we assess your stroke risk, discuss anticoagulation, and arrange the follow-up that AF requires. Atrial flutter is identified on clinician review of the trace.Palpitations & ectopic beatsThe commonest reason people book. Most palpitations turn out to be benign ectopics or sinus tachycardia — but demonstrating that on a trace, during symptoms, is far more reassuring than being told it is “probably fine”.Slow heart rates (bradycardia)Useful in dizziness, fatigue and near-fainting, and for people on rate-slowing medication such as beta blockers, where we want to see how slow things actually go.Fast heart rates (tachycardia & SVT)Where an episode can be captured, a six-lead trace can distinguish a fast but normal sinus rhythm from a supraventricular tachycardia, and narrow-complex from broad-complex tachycardia — a distinction that changes management.Rate control in known AFFor people already diagnosed with AF, a quick trace checks whether the rate is controlled on current treatment, without waiting for a hospital appointment.Conduction delay & heart blockFirst-degree heart block and some higher-degree block are visible on limb leads, as are pauses. Anything suspicious here is a reason for a full 12-lead and a cardiology opinion.QT interval checksSome medicines lengthen the QT interval. The 6L can measure it, and agreement with 12-lead is generally close — but it is not a substitute for a formal 12-lead where QT monitoring is clinically important4.Dizziness, blackouts & near-faintsA recording taken during or shortly after an episode can be genuinely diagnostic. Blackouts with no warning, or during exertion, always warrant urgent assessment — we will escalate rather than reassure.Thyroid, anaemia & medication effectsAn overactive thyroid, anaemia, dehydration, stimulants and some prescription drugs all show up as rhythm change. We commonly pair a trace with blood tests to find the treatable cause.Back to top ↑The evidenceWhat the research actually showsWe think you should see the numbers, including the unflattering ones.Rhythm: excellent agreementThe largest head-to-head study — EVALECG Cardio, 1,015 unselected cardiology patients at Leeds Teaching Hospitals — recorded a Kardia 6L and a standard 12-lead ECG simultaneously in each patient. Agreement for atrial fibrillation was near-perfect (kappa 0.986), and agreement for sinus rhythm was good (kappa 0.779).1Separately, NICE’s appraisal of KardiaMobile for detecting AF found the algorithm’s accuracy across four peer-reviewed studies to be 92–99% sensitivity and 92–98% specificity per recording.2Intervals: good, with a caveatIn EVALECG Cardio the 6L tracked the 12-lead closely for the PR interval (mean bias 0.76 ms) and QRS duration (mean bias 0.29 ms), and reasonably for cardiac axis. However, roughly one in five recordings was unsuitable for QT analysis because of signal quality or unclear waveforms.1 A separate NIHR systematic review found the mean difference in corrected QT between the 6L and a 12-lead was generally within 10 ms, with the Kardia tending to read slightly lower — but concluded the published evidence base is thin.4Ischaemia: this is the honest weak pointIn the same study, agreement with the 12-lead for ST elevation was only fair (kappa 0.421) and for ST depression poorer still (kappa 0.340). The authors’ conclusion was blunt: the Kardia 6L “performed poorly when compared with the 12-lead ECG for ischaemia analysis”. Agreement for left ventricular hypertrophy was moderate (kappa 0.678).1 The reason is structural, not fixable: without chest leads, the front and back walls of the heart are not being looked at.What the guidelines sayNICE recommends KardiaMobile as an option for detecting AF in people with suspected paroxysmal AF who present with symptoms such as palpitations, and is explicit that the device is “not intended to be used to confirm the presence of AF as a standalone test but to help detect AF”, and that all interpretations should be reviewed by a healthcare professional.2The Scottish Health Technologies Group, applying that advice in Scotland, notes that a definitive diagnosis of AF requires a single-lead ECG of at least 30 seconds, or a 12-lead ECG, showing AF and analysed by a clinician with expertise in rhythm interpretation. It also notes that its recommendation covered the single-lead KardiaMobile; the six-lead version was excluded from that appraisal for want of sufficient evidence.3Which is exactly how we use it: as a fast, well-evidenced way to capture and demonstrate your heart rhythm, read by a GP, with a clear onward plan when the trace or your symptoms call for more.In one lineFor rhythm, a 6-lead Kardia trace stands up remarkably well against a hospital 12-lead. For ischaemia, it does not — and no amount of convenience changes that.ReferencesAzram M, Ahmed N, Leese L, et al. Clinical validation and evaluation of a novel six-lead handheld electrocardiogram recorder compared to the 12-lead electrocardiogram in unselected cardiology patients (EVALECG Cardio). European Heart Journal — Digital Health, 2021;2(4):643–648. View studyNICE. KardiaMobile for detecting atrial fibrillation (medical technologies guidance). View guidanceScottish Health Technologies Group. KardiaMobile for detecting atrial fibrillation — SHTG advice. View adviceNIHR Health Technology Assessment. KardiaMobile 6L for measuring QT interval in people having antipsychotic medication: a systematic review. View reviewNICE. Lead-I ECG devices for detecting symptomatic atrial fibrillation using single time point testing in primary care (DG35). View guidanceBack to top ↑FeesECG pricingAll prices include the recording, GP interpretation, and the trace emailed to you as a PDF. No hidden fees. £20 per traceKardia ECG — consultation add-on£20 per Kardia ECG trace when added to any GP consultation, health screen or blood test appointment. The most common way patients have it done — the ECG is recorded and interpreted within the appointment you were already having. Book a consultation £40 standaloneStandalone Kardia recording£40 for a standalone Kardia ECG recording without a full consultation. Includes GP interpretation and the trace emailed to you. Useful if you simply want a rhythm recording documented and in your hands — for example to take to a cardiology appointment. Book a standalone ECGAdditional traces in the same appointment, blood tests to investigate a cause, and onward referral are quoted separately — we will always tell you the cost before proceeding. Fees are correct at the time of publication; please confirm when booking.Back to top ↑SuitabilityWho benefits mostAn ECG recording is likely to help if you…Get palpitations, fluttering, thumping or “skipped” beatsHave been told your pulse feels irregularHave a smartwatch or fitness tracker that has flagged an irregular rhythmHave known atrial fibrillation and want to check your rateHave a family history of atrial fibrillation or arrhythmiaFeel light-headed, unusually breathless on exertion, or unusually tiredAre on medication that affects heart rate or rhythmHave an overactive thyroid, anaemia or a recent viral illnessWant a documented rhythm trace to take to a cardiologistAre adding a heart rhythm check to a wider health screenA Kardia recording is not the right test if you…Have chest pain, pressure or tightness — this needs urgent 12-lead assessment, and 999 if it is happening nowNeed an ECG for an occupational, aviation, diving, sports or insurance medical — these require a formal 12-leadNeed a pre-operative or pre-chemotherapy baseline ECGNeed investigation of suspected angina or coronary artery diseaseHave symptoms once every few weeks — ambulatory or event monitoring over days will catch more than any single recordingHave a cardiac device (pacemaker or ICD) needing interrogation — that is a cardiology device clinic jobNot sure which applies to you? Call us on +44 7857 761328 and we will tell you honestly — including when the answer is that you need something we don’t offer.Back to top ↑QuestionsFrequently asked questions Does an ECG hurt?No. An ECG only listens — it does not put anything into your body. With the Kardia there are no needles and no sticky electrodes to peel off afterwards. You rest your thumbs on two metal pads and the device against your knee or ankle. How long does it take?The recording itself is 30 seconds, though we can record for up to five minutes if we want a longer look. The whole appointment, including the GP’s review and explanation, is usually 10–15 minutes. Is a 6-lead Kardia as good as a hospital ECG?For heart rhythm, it holds up extremely well — agreement with a simultaneous 12-lead ECG for atrial fibrillation was near-perfect in a 1,015-patient hospital study. For ischaemia — angina, heart attack, ST-segment changes — it is not a substitute, because it has no chest leads. We use it for what it is good at and refer for a 12-lead when that is what is needed. Can a Kardia trace rule out a heart attack?No, and this is important. It cannot. If you have chest pain, pressure, or pain radiating to your jaw or arm, call 999. Do not book an appointment and do not wait. Will I get a copy of my trace?Yes. Every recording is emailed to you as a PDF, usually the same day, with the GP’s interpretation. It is your record — keep it, forward it, or take it to a cardiologist. We can also send it directly to your NHS GP practice if you would like us to. What happens if my ECG is abnormal?Your GP explains what has been found, what it means, and what needs to happen next — that might be blood tests, a repeat recording, ambulatory monitoring, a 12-lead ECG, an echocardiogram, a stroke-risk assessment, or referral to cardiology. Where a finding is urgent, we act on it immediately rather than sending you away with a letter. My smartwatch flagged an irregular rhythm. Is that worth checking?Yes, it is worth checking — but a watch notification is a prompt, not a diagnosis. A recorded six-lead trace read by a GP is a much stronger piece of evidence, in either direction. Bring the watch data with you if you have it. Can I bring recordings I’ve taken on my own Kardia device at home?Absolutely, and please do. Recordings taken during your symptoms at home are often the most useful thing in the room. Email them ahead or bring them on your phone. Can you do the ECG at the same time as blood tests?Yes — that is exactly what the £20 add-on price is for. Palpitations are often investigated with a rhythm trace plus thyroid function, full blood count and electrolytes together, which frequently gives the whole answer in one visit. What if the trace is unclear or noisy?It happens — cold hands, tremor, movement and dry skin all create artefact. We simply warm your hands, settle you, and record again. There is no extra charge for repeating a recording within the same appointment because of signal quality. Do I need a referral from my NHS GP?No. You can book directly. We will write to your NHS GP with your consent if the findings need to be on your main medical record. Is it suitable if I have a pacemaker or a tremor?Often, but it depends. Tremor can make the trace difficult to read, and pacemaker checks specifically need a cardiology device clinic. Give us a call before booking and we will tell you whether it is worth your while. Back to top ↑Book todayGet your heart rhythm recorded and explainedSame-day appointments at our Dundee clinic. £20 as an add-on to any consultation, £40 standalone — GP interpretation and your PDF trace included. Book an ECG 📞 +44 7857 761328 ✉️ care@ourgp.co.ukThe information on this page is general medical information and is not a substitute for individual medical advice. If you are unwell, contact your GP, NHS 24 on 111, or 999 in an emergency.