Your results in three easy steps
How do I take my at home kit?
Test Arrives: We will send you a home-testing kit via Royal Mail 1st Class post. You will receive everything you need in the kit to carry out at home including simple step-by-step instructions.
Take Your Test: Our home-testing kits use a simple finger-prick blood sample you can take yourself in the comfort of your own home. Ensuring that you have followed the instructions provided, simply use the enclosed lancets and tube to collect your own blood sample.
Receive Results: Following the instructions provided, fill out the enclosed forms and label your blood test. Then, take your sample and return it to our laboratory using the Royal Mail 1st Class Tracked postal bag included with the kit.
Learn about our blood tests
Why book in with a
phlebotomist?
The quickest and most effective way to get your blood tested is to book in with one of our phlebotomists. Taking a blood sample in store will allow us to take a greater quantity of blood and therefore run a greater range of tests. The very popular Premier Health Profile, for example, cannot be run without taking a sample intravenously as it requires a full blood count. Having a test taken in store also ensures that our couriers are able to get your sample directly to the laboratory on the very same day.
What does it involve?
Get booked in: Find your local branch and get yourself booked in for the blood test of your choice.
Take the sample: At the branch, the phlebotomist will take the blood sample. This usually takes no more than ten minutes.
Get your results: That day, a courier will collect your blood sample from the site and take it to the laboratory. You will receive your
results, with our GP’s comments, the next day.
FAQs
Do I have to fast for my test?
If you are having cholesterol tests as part of your profile you may want to fast for 8 hours prior to your test - particularly if you have had a previous high level. It is not essential though, as your results will still give useful health information whether you have fasted or not. Fasting entails not eating or drinking anything except for water.
You do not need to fast for all other tests.
Do I need to prepare for my test in any way?
If you take blood thinning medication please tell the phlebotomist before your test.
Please drink water and keep hydrated before your appointment.
Is there an NHS discount?
Yes, for any NHS staff we are offering the test at a discounted rate. Please email info@londonmedicallaboratory.co.uk for more information.
Can I trust London Medical Laboratory? Are the results reliable?
We are also registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC)—the independent regulator of health and social care in England— and process all of our tests through a UKAS accredited laboratory.
Are there any dispatch time constraints on postal test kits?
We dispatch postal kits on weekdays. We can dispatch kits on the same day if ordered before 1pm. If you order a postal test kit after 1pm on a Friday, or on the weekend, then your test will be dispatched the following Monday. Please consider this delay when ordering any time-sensitive at-home postal test kits.
Can I make an order over the phone?
Unfortunately, we cannot complete your order over the phone. However, our website has been designed to make the ordering process as easy as possible for you. But if you do have any questions, then please contact us and our team will be happy to guide you through the process.
How do I finger prick sample myself?
Your test kit contains easy to follow instructions on how to take your own finger blood sample. However, if you want to see how it works then check out our tutorial video on the finger prick sampling process.
Where are there in-store testing locations?
Many of our London Medical Laboratory clinics are open 7-days a week and are situated across London, Slough and Guildford. A full list of our locations can be found here.
When will I get my results?
You will receive your results on the day after we receive your sample in our laboratory.
We run a 24/7 laboratory operation and test all samples as quickly as possible after receiving them which enables our team of in-house GPs to review and communicate your results in the fastest possible time frame.
If you need your results urgently we would recommend booking an in-store appointment or a mobile phlebotomist as this will guarantee your sample reaches the laboratory that same day.
For the return of postal kits we use the Royal Mail 1st Class Tracked service which normally delivers on the next working day (Monday-Friday) however as with any postal service there is the possibility of delays.
In the unlikely event that your sample requires retesting, this may delay the delivery of your result.
