We provide two types of ambulatory monitoring:

Ambulatory ECG (Electrocardiography) monitoring

This is a continuous recording of the electrical activity of the heart over a specified period of time.

The length of time can range from 24 hours to one week and is used to investigate symptoms such as palpitations or dizzy spells that occur infrequently.  

The recording is made by the patient wearing a small portable monitor.

At this present time we are not fitting the monitors in the department.

You will be sent a letter or receive a telephone with an appointment time.

We have a stand in the ground floor corridor at GWH (opposite the PALS (Patient Advice and Liaison Service) office) for you to come to at your appointment time.

One of the associate practitioners will be there to give you the monitor, full instructions on how to fit it, and an information and symptoms sheet.

You will need to return the monitor to the same place.

While you are wearing the monitor, you should continue your normal daily activities, except that you will not be able to have a bath or shower.

The results will be downloaded and then analysed by a cardiac physiologist, and the results sent back to the consultant or GP who requested the test.

Further information

British Heart Foundation: Your guide to 24-hour blood pressure and Holter monitoring tests

British Heart Foundation: Your guide to ECG (electrocardiogram), heart disease test

Please see also the British Heart Foundation website: ECG.

Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring

This records your blood pressure over a 24-hour period.

Blood pressure is most accurately measured over a prolonged period and in your own environment.

A single measurement in clinic will not provide the same information as multiple readings over the course of a day and a night.

This test can diagnose conditions such as hypertension (high blood pressure) and also measure the effectiveness of treatments.

A blood pressure cuff is placed around the arm and connected to a device that measures and records the blood pressure at regular intervals.

The cuff will inflate every 30 minutes during the day, and once an hour overnight.

You will receive a letter or a telephone call with an appointment time to come to the department.

You will need to return the monitor to the department the following day.

While you are wearing the blood pressure cuff you should continue your normal daily activities, except that you will not be able to have a bath or shower.

The results will be downloaded and then analysed by a cardiac physiologist, and the results sent back to the consultant or GP who requested the test. 

Further information

British Heart Foundation: Your guide to 24-hour blood pressure and Holter monitoring tests

British Heart Foundation: Understanding Blood Pressure

Please see also the British Heart Foundation website: High blood pressure.