Irregular Heartbeat & Atrial Fibrillation
An irregular heartbeat — most often atrial fibrillation (AF) — is common and treatable. Here's what it is, why it matters, and how a consultant cardiologist can diagnose it and plan your care.
An irregular heartbeat means your heart is not beating in its usual steady rhythm. The most common type is atrial fibrillation (AF), where the upper chambers of the heart beat irregularly and often fast.
Some people notice palpitations, breathlessness or tiredness; others have no symptoms and it is picked up on a routine check. AF matters because it raises the risk of stroke — and that risk can be reduced with the right treatment. If an irregular heartbeat comes with chest pain, fainting or severe breathlessness, call 999 — do not wait for a private appointment.
Symptoms of irregular heartbeat & atrial fibrillation.
Some people with AF feel nothing at all. With chest pain, fainting or severe breathlessness, call 999.
Why it happens.
AF becomes more common with age and is linked with other conditions that put strain on the heart. Sometimes no clear cause is found.
Don't wait for it to settle.
Early assessment helps you get the right treatment sooner. See a specialist if:
Confirming the rhythm — and your stroke risk.
Dr Khalid Khan starts with a full consultation and examination. An irregular heartbeat is confirmed on an ECG (heart trace); because it can come and go, ambulatory monitoring may be arranged to capture it, and an echocardiogram (ultrasound of the heart) to look at the heart's structure. These tests are arranged as part of your care, and the fee for each is confirmed at your consultation before you go ahead.
What an ECG involves →How irregular heartbeat & atrial fibrillation is treated.
Treatment depends on the type and cause — it usually aims to control the heart rate or rhythm and to reduce the risk of stroke.
A full assessment with Dr Khalid Khan of your rhythm, symptoms and stroke risk, with a clear explanation and a plan — £250.
Tests chosen for your symptoms and arranged as part of your care, to confirm the rhythm and check the heart. The fee for each test is confirmed at your consultation.
A review of your results and the plan — lifestyle changes, medication where it's needed, or referral for further investigation or procedures — £190.
Seen in days — not months on a list.
A named specialist, not a junior — all the way through.
Every price published and confirmed in writing.
Seen privately, without the wait.
We bill major UK insurers directly.
Do I need a referral? +
No — you can book a cardiology consultation directly, without a GP referral.
Can you do the tests on the same day? +
Tests such as an ECG, echocardiogram or monitoring are arranged as part of your care, based on what the consultation finds. If you'd like to know what may be possible on the day, please ask when you book and we'll confirm.
Will you write to my GP? +
Yes — with your consent, we write to your GP with the findings and the plan, so your care is joined up.
What does it cost? +
A new-patient consultation with Dr Khalid Khan is £250 (40 minutes) and a follow-up is £190 (20 minutes). The fee for any test is confirmed at your consultation before you go ahead.
Don't put up with it.
Book an assessment with a consultant and get a clear picture — and a plan.