UK Private Blood Tests by Type
This is the index of our per-test buyer's guides. Each guide explains what the test actually measures, when it's genuinely useful versus when you should just talk to your GP, what UK private providers charge in 2026, and how to read the result against UK reference bands rather than US ones.
Not sure which test you actually need? Start with our how to choose a private blood test in the UK decision guide — it walks you from "why am I considering this?" to the right test and the right provider. For an overview of the providers themselves, see our UK provider comparison. For broader pricing, see the UK blood test cost guide and the live UK pricing index dataset.
Before you read any of these results, read this: UK blood test reference ranges explained — why NHS and private labs publish different ranges, why "in range" is not the same as "optimal", and how to read your own report without misinterpreting it.
Available test guides
Private Thyroid Blood Tests UK — TSH, T3, T4 & Antibodies
What TSH, free T3, free T4, and thyroid antibodies actually measure, why "normal" on an NHS panel doesn't always reassure, and what UK providers charge for full thyroid panels in 2026. ~16 min read.
Private Vitamin D Blood Test UK — Cost & Providers
What 25(OH)D measures, who genuinely benefits from testing rather than just supplementing, and what UK private providers charge — under £25 at most major brands. UK reference bands and how to read deficient/insufficient/sufficient results. ~12 min read.
Private Ferritin & Iron Blood Tests UK — Cost & Providers
Ferritin alone vs full iron panel (TSAT, TIBC), why NHS "in range" can still mean depleted, and the haemochromatosis pattern (raised ferritin + raised TSAT) you need to know about. The single most useful test for unexplained fatigue or hair shedding. ~13 min read.
Private HbA1c Blood Test UK — Cost & Providers
What HbA1c (glycated haemoglobin) measures, why it's the standard NHS test for diagnosing and monitoring type 2 diabetes, NICE thresholds for normal / non-diabetic hyperglycaemia / diabetes ranges, and what UK private providers charge in 2026. ~12 min read.
Private Vitamin B12 & Folate Blood Test UK — Cost & Providers
What B12 and folate actually measure, when active B12 (holotranscobalamin) and MMA add value beyond standard total B12, the 200–350 ng/L grey zone that catches a lot of symptomatic patients, and what UK providers charge in 2026. The third member of the fatigue work-up trio alongside ferritin and vitamin D. ~13 min read.
Private Cholesterol & Lipid Blood Test UK — Cost & Providers
Total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, non-HDL, triglycerides, ApoB and Lp(a) explained against UK NICE targets (not US thresholds). When ApoB and Lp(a) earn their keep, why non-fasting testing is now accepted, and what UK providers charge in 2026. ~14 min read.
Private Full Blood Count (FBC) Test UK — Cost & Providers
The single most-ordered NHS blood test, all 15+ markers explained: red cells, white cells, platelets, MCV-based anaemia patterns, the half-dozen patterns that need same-week GP attention. Medichecks Iron and FBC bundle (£75 verified) and standalone (£59 verified). ~14 min read.
Private PSA (Prostate) Blood Test UK — Cost & Providers
What PSA actually measures, the UK age-banded reference thresholds (NHS PCRMP), what raises it that isn't cancer (cycling, ejaculation, UTIs, exams), and the modern UK pathway after a raised result — mpMRI before biopsy, per NICE NG131. Honest framing of who should and shouldn't test. Medichecks PSA standalone £45 (verified); other providers vary — verify before ordering. ~13 min read.
Private Liver Function (LFT) Blood Test UK — Cost & Markers
ALT, AST, GGT, ALP, bilirubin and albumin explained against UK reference ranges. When MASLD/NAFLD, alcohol, statins or supplement stacks earn a private LFT, NICE NG165 stepped investigation of mildly raised liver enzymes, and the patterns (hepatocellular vs cholestatic) that change interpretation. Standalone LFT panels £29–£49 where they exist; LFTs are bundled into every major UK general health panel. ~14 min read.
Private Testosterone Blood Test UK — Cost & Providers
Total testosterone, free T, SHBG, LH, FSH and oestradiol explained against BSSM reference bands and the morning-sample protocol that matters. Why a single low result is not a diagnosis (around a third normalise on retest), the lifestyle drivers that move TT meaningfully, and an honest framing of who should and shouldn't test. Single TT from £19 (Medichecks); best clinical-value panel £79 (Medichecks Male Hormone Check, 7 markers); most-marker-per-pound £46 (Randox Quickdraw, 8 markers). All prices verified 9 May 2026. ~14 min read.
Private Female Hormone Blood Test UK — Costs, What's Measured & When to Test
Oestradiol, FSH, LH, progesterone, prolactin, SHBG, testosterone, AMH, TSH and the cycle-day timing rules that determine whether your result is meaningful or noise. Day 2–5 vs day 21 sampling, the perimenopause-FSH-is-unreliable problem (NICE NG23), Rotterdam criteria for PCOS, and an honest framing of who genuinely benefits from private testing vs who should see a GP first. Cheapest verified panel £46 (Randox Quickdraw, 8 markers); best clinical-value £79 (Medichecks Female Hormone, 9 markers); fertility-grade with AMH from £129. All prices verified 9 May 2026. ~16 min read.
Private AMH & Fertility Hormone Blood Test UK — Cost, Ovarian Reserve & When to Test
What AMH (anti-Müllerian hormone) actually predicts (response to IVF stimulation, ovarian reserve) and what it doesn't (natural conception probability, egg quality, time to menopause). Age-banded reference ranges, the Steiner JAMA 2017 evidence that AMH does not predict natural conception in unselected women, when NHS will fund fertility testing (12-month / 6-month rule, NICE CG156) and the ICB postcode lottery for funded IVF. Cheapest AMH-only £129 (LetsGetChecked); best clinical-value fertility panel £159 (Medichecks Advanced Female Fertility, 12 markers including AMH). Prices verified 9 May 2026. ~9 min read.
Private hsCRP (High-Sensitivity CRP) Blood Test UK — Cost & Providers
What hsCRP measures, why it's the cleanest single marker for low-grade inflammation in cardiovascular and metabolic risk, AHA / CDC cut-offs (< 1 / 1–3 / > 3 mg/L), the confounders that produce false-high readings (recent infection, vaccination, intense exercise, oestrogen-containing HRT / contraception), and when hsCRP refines a QRISK3-based statin conversation. Standalone £29 (Medichecks) to £39 (MyHealthChecked); usually cheaper bundled inside cardiovascular or general-health panels. Prices verified 10 May 2026. ~10 min read.
Private Cortisol & Stress-Axis Blood Test UK — Cost, Providers & How to Read
What blood cortisol actually measures (total cortisol vs the free-active fraction), UK morning reference bands, why oestrogen-containing contraception / HRT raises total cortisol 30–100 % without changing biology, when blood beats saliva and when it doesn't, the 6–10 a.m. sampling window that makes or breaks the result, and the symptom patterns that should send you to a GP rather than a private kit. Standalone £41 (Forth) to £45 (Medichecks); 4-sample saliva diurnal panel £89 (Medichecks). Prices verified 11 May 2026. ~10 min read.
Private Coeliac Antibody Blood Test UK — tTG-IgA, Total IgA & the Gluten-Challenge Rule
What tTG-IgA, total IgA and EMA actually measure, why you must be eating gluten for the test to be valid (NICE NG20), the 6-week gluten challenge protocol for anyone already gluten-free, how to read a positive result, and the standard UK gastroenterology pathway. Standalone coeliac panel from £39 (Medichecks); HLA-DQ2/DQ8 genetic test alternative £79–£129. ~10 min read.
Coming soon
We're rolling out per-test buyer's guides on a 2-3 per week cadence. Next planned: a Thriva vs Forth subscription head-to-head and a vitamin / mineral wide-screen guide. The aim is to cover every test mentioned on the provider comparison with a UK-specific buyer's guide.
Methodology
Every guide on this site uses the same approach: UK reference bands (NHS, NICE CKS, Royal College guidelines, Royal Osteoporosis Society, British Society for Haematology where relevant), primary-source citations rather than secondary content sites, and provider prices verified against each provider's UK product pages on a rolling weekly cycle. Articles are researched and drafted by Aether (an AI agent) and reviewed by a human editor under human editorial oversight before publication. Read our editorial process.