Private Blood Tests vs NHS: What You Get and What It Costs

You want to know how your health is really doing — not just whether something is visibly wrong. You'd like a comprehensive blood test that covers your heart, metabolism, hormones, vitamins, and key risk markers. So you ask your GP, and the answer is some variation of: "We don't test for that unless there's a clinical reason."

It's a frustrating experience, and an increasingly common one. The NHS is extraordinary at diagnosing and treating illness, but it was never designed for proactive, preventive health screening in the way many people now want. That's where private blood testing has carved out a genuine role. But is it worth the money? Let's compare the two approaches honestly.

What the NHS Offers (and Doesn't)

NHS blood tests: the basics

When your GP orders a blood test, it's usually in response to specific symptoms or as part of a clinical pathway. Common NHS blood tests include:

• Full blood count (FBC) — checks red cells, white cells, and platelets
• Liver function tests (LFTs) — measures liver enzymes and protein levels
• Kidney function tests (U&Es) — urea, creatinine, and electrolytes
• Thyroid function (TSH) — often TSH alone, without Free T4 or Free T3
• Fasting glucose or HbA1c — if diabetes is suspected
• Basic lipid panel — total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, and triglycerides
• CRP — a general marker of inflammation

These are excellent tests, and they're free at the point of use. For investigating specific symptoms or monitoring known conditions, NHS blood testing is hard to beat.

What the NHS typically doesn't test

The NHS generally won't test the following unless you have a specific medical indication:

• Vitamin D — unless you have symptoms of deficiency or are in a high-risk group
• Vitamin B12 and folate — unless anaemia is present or suspected
• Ferritin — often omitted even when fatigue is the presenting complaint
• Full thyroid panel (Free T4, Free T3, thyroid antibodies) — most GPs order TSH alone
• Testosterone (men or women) — unless there's a strong clinical indication
• ApoB and Lp(a) — advanced cardiovascular markers not included in standard lipid panels
• Fasting insulin — a valuable early marker of insulin resistance, rarely tested on the NHS
• DHEA-S, oestradiol, progesterone — hormone panels beyond basic fertility workups
• Cortisol — unless Cushing's or Addison's disease is suspected

The NHS Health Check

Adults aged 40–74 are eligible for a free NHS Health Check every five years. This includes a cardiovascular risk assessment, blood pressure, BMI, a basic cholesterol check, and a diabetes risk questionnaire. It's a useful baseline, but it has limitations:

• Five-year intervals leave long gaps for health changes to develop silently
• The panel is limited — no advanced cardiovascular markers, hormones, or nutritional assessments
• Uptake is inconsistent — only about 40% of eligible people actually attend

NHS Waiting Times

This is one of the most practical reasons people turn to private testing. Getting an NHS blood test involves booking a GP appointment (1–3 weeks), receiving a requisition for whatever the GP decides to test, attending a phlebotomy appointment (another 1–2 weeks), waiting for results (3–7 working days), and then booking a follow-up to discuss them.

From initial concern to discussed results, the total timeline can easily stretch to 4–8 weeks. For proactive health checks, the process can feel painfully slow.

What Private Blood Tests Include

Private blood testing providers typically offer panels at different levels of comprehensiveness. A well-designed private health panel might include:

Essential panel (typically 30–50 markers)

• Full blood count
• Liver and kidney function
• Full lipid panel including LDL, HDL, triglycerides
• HbA1c (diabetes risk)
• Thyroid function (TSH, Free T4)
• Iron studies (ferritin, serum iron, TIBC)
• Vitamin D
• Vitamin B12 and folate
• Key inflammatory markers (CRP)

Comprehensive panel (typically 50–80+ markers)

• Everything in the essential panel, plus:
• Advanced cardiovascular — ApoB, Lp(a), homocysteine
• Full thyroid — Free T3, thyroid antibodies (TPO, TG)
• Hormones — testosterone, SHBG, oestradiol, DHEA-S, cortisol
• Metabolic — fasting insulin, fasting glucose alongside HbA1c
• Nutritional — magnesium, zinc, omega-3 index
• Cancer markers — PSA (men), CA-125 (women) where appropriate

Cost Comparison

Feature	NHS Blood Tests	Private Blood Tests
Cost	Free	Typically £50–£350+ depending on panel
Markers tested	5–15 (GP decides)	30–80+ (you choose the panel)
Waiting time to test	2–6 weeks	Usually within days; often same-day
Results turnaround	3–7 working days	1–3 working days
Doctor consultation	Free (if you can get an appointment)	Often included or available as add-on
Testing flexibility	GP decides what's clinically indicated	You choose based on your health goals
Repeat testing	At GP's discretion	On your own schedule
Advanced markers	Rarely included	Standard in comprehensive panels

Practical takeaway: Private testing isn't about replacing the NHS — it's about filling the gaps that the NHS isn't designed to cover. If you're symptomatic, start with your GP. If you want a proactive, comprehensive health baseline, private testing is the more efficient route.

When Private Testing Makes Sense

Private blood tests are particularly worthwhile when:

• You want a proactive health check and don't have symptoms that would trigger NHS investigation
• You're interested in prevention — catching trends before they become diagnoses
• You want advanced markers like ApoB, Lp(a), fasting insulin, or a comprehensive hormone panel that the NHS doesn't routinely offer
• You want speed — results within days rather than weeks
• You're tracking the impact of lifestyle changes and want to test at regular intervals (every 3–6 months)
• You've been told your NHS results are "normal" but you still don't feel right — a broader panel may reveal what was missed
• You have a family history of heart disease, diabetes, or thyroid problems and want closer monitoring than the NHS provides
• You're over 40 and want a more detailed health assessment than the NHS Health Check offers

What to Look for in a Provider

Not all private blood testing services are equal. Here's what matters:

• CQC registration — any UK service drawing blood or providing diagnostics should be regulated by the Care Quality Commission. This ensures clinical governance, hygiene standards, and proper oversight
• UKAS-accredited laboratories — look for ISO 15189 accreditation, the gold standard for medical laboratory quality
• Qualified phlebotomists — blood should be drawn by trained professionals, not self-collected finger-prick kits (which have higher error rates for many markers)
• Doctor-reviewed results — your results should be reviewed by a qualified medical professional, not just auto-generated by software
• Clear, actionable reporting — results should be explained in plain language with context, not just raw numbers and reference ranges
• Follow-up support — the best providers offer consultations to discuss your results and help you plan next steps

Red flags to avoid

• Providers that promise to "diagnose" conditions from blood tests alone
• Services that push unnecessary retesting at short intervals
• Companies that upsell expensive supplements alongside their testing

How PrivateTests Works

We've built our service around the principles above. Every test is processed in a UKAS-accredited UK laboratory and reviewed by a qualified doctor. You choose a panel based on your health goals, book a convenient phlebotomy appointment (venous blood draw for accuracy), and receive your results within days — with clear explanations and personalised commentary.

Whether you want a focused panel on cardiovascular health, hormones, or metabolic risk, or a comprehensive screen that covers everything in one go, the choice is yours. No GP gatekeeping, no waiting lists, and no limit on what you can test.

Practical takeaway: The NHS is an invaluable resource when you're unwell. But if you want to understand your health before problems arise — to catch risks early, track trends over time, and make data-driven decisions about your wellbeing — private blood testing gives you the breadth, depth, and speed that the NHS simply isn't structured to provide.

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