Cheapest Blood Test Uk

Last updated: February 2026

Private blood testing has exploded in the UK. With NHS waiting times stretching and preventative health awareness growing, more people than ever are paying out of pocket to understand what is happening inside their bodies. But with so many providers — from finger-prick kits to full venous draws with a nurse at your door — working out who actually offers the cheapest blood test in the UK is not straightforward.

Price per test only tells half the story. The number of biomarkers tested, whether the sample is a finger prick or venous blood draw, turnaround time, and whether a doctor reviews your results all affect the real value you get. In this guide we compare every major UK blood test provider side by side — including Lola Health, Medichecks, Thriva, Forth, Randox Health, Selph, Superdrug, and the NHS — so you can make an informed decision.

Quick Comparison Table: UK Blood Test Prices 2026

All prices shown are for the test itself. Where venous blood collection carries an extra fee, this is noted. Prices correct as of February 2026 and may vary.

* Lola Health prices shown include home phlebotomist visit. Self-arranged phlebotomy options available from £120 (Core Health) and £185 (Peak Insights).
† Medichecks base price is finger-prick self-collection. Add £35 for clinic venous draw or £59 for home nurse venous draw.

Lola Health Blood Tests

Lola Health takes a different approach to most home blood test providers. Rather than posting you a finger-prick kit, Lola sends a qualified phlebotomist to your home (or offers clinic appointments) to draw a proper venous blood sample. This is the same method used in hospitals and produces significantly more reliable results, particularly for markers like full blood count, hormones, and iron studies where finger-prick samples can be affected by squeezing and haemolysis.

Core Health 45 — £155 (with nurse visit)

The Core Health 45 tests 45 biomarkers covering cholesterol and cardiovascular risk, diabetes screening (HbA1c), liver and kidney function, full blood count, iron status, inflammation markers, thyroid function, key vitamins and minerals, and hormone balance. At £155 including the home nurse visit, that works out to £3.44 per biomarker — and crucially, there are no hidden fees for venous collection. If you arrange your own phlebotomist, the price drops to £120.

Peak Insights 70 — £220 (with nurse visit)

The Peak Insights 70 is Lola’s most comprehensive panel, covering 70 biomarkers across bone health, advanced cardiovascular markers, electrolytes, reproductive and sex steroid hormones, stress hormones (cortisol, DHEA), full thyroid panel, and an expanded vitamin and mineral profile. At £3.14 per biomarker with the nurse visit included, this is one of the strongest value propositions for a comprehensive venous blood test in the UK. The self-arranged phlebotomy price is £185.

Turnaround: Results typically within 4 working days from lab receipt.
Doctor review: All results are reviewed by a doctor, with personalised commentary on anything outside the normal range for your age and gender.

Medichecks Pricing

Medichecks is one of the most established names in UK private blood testing, with over 400 tests available. Their pricing model works differently from Lola Health — the base price covers a finger-prick self-collection kit, and you pay extra if you want a venous blood draw.

• Essential Blood Test: £89 (38 biomarkers) — covers liver, kidney, cholesterol, diabetes, iron, inflammation, and full blood count. Add £35 for a clinic venous draw or £59 for a home nurse visit, bringing the total to £124–£148 for venous collection.
• Advanced Well Man / Well Woman: £159 (44 biomarkers) — adds hormones (testosterone or oestrogen), vitamins, and minerals. With venous collection: £194–£218.
• Ultimate Performance: £199 (56 biomarkers) — their most comprehensive panel, including DHEA, cortisol, advanced hormones, and thyroid antibodies. Requires venous collection, so the real cost is £234–£258.

Turnaround: Typically 2–3 working days. Doctor review: Included with all tests. Medichecks also runs frequent sales (up to 20–30% off), which can make them significantly cheaper during promotional periods. Their finger-prick option is genuinely good value if you are comfortable collecting the sample yourself and only need a handful of markers. For comprehensive panels requiring venous blood, however, the additional collection fees push prices closer to (or above) Lola Health.

Thriva Pricing

Thriva positions itself as the modern, app-first blood testing service. All tests are finger-prick kits sent to your home. The company was acquired by Boots in 2023, and tests are available directly through the Thriva website.

• Vitamins Check: £82 (3 biomarkers — vitamin D, B12, folate)
• Women’s Hormones: £99 (9 biomarkers)
• Cardiovascular Health: £106 (22 biomarkers)
• Men’s Health: £113 (21 biomarkers)
• General Health: £117 (approximately 20 biomarkers)
• Sports Performance: £212 (comprehensive panel)

Turnaround: 2–5 working days. Doctor review: Full written doctor’s report included with all tests.

Thriva’s strength is its user-friendly app and tracking dashboard, which lets you compare results over time. The weakness is that all tests are finger-prick only — there is no venous option. For single-marker or small-panel tests, Thriva is competitive. For comprehensive panels, the per-biomarker cost is higher than most competitors, and the finger-prick method limits which markers can be reliably tested.

Forth Pricing

Forth (formerly Forth with Life) is a well-regarded UK provider particularly popular with athletes and biohackers. Like Thriva, their standard tests use finger-prick kits posted to your home.

• Baseline Plus: from £79 (25 biomarkers) — covers vitamin D, B12, ferritin, magnesium, cholesterol, liver function, kidney function, and full blood count. One of the cheapest comprehensive wellness screens available.
• Advanced Health Check: from £149 (39 biomarkers) — adds thyroid function, hormones (cortisol, testosterone), and bone health markers.
• Ultimate Health Check: from £199 (47+ biomarkers) — adds thyroid antibodies, electrolytes, omega-3 to omega-6 ratio, and antioxidant vitamins.

Turnaround: 2 working days for Baseline and Advanced; up to 15 working days for Ultimate. Doctor review: Included. Forth also offers a monthly subscription plan starting from around £24–£39 per month for quarterly testing, which may appeal to those wanting to track trends regularly.

Forth’s Baseline Plus at £79 for 25 biomarkers is one of the cheapest options in the UK for a meaningful wellness overview. However, it is a finger-prick test, the biomarker count is lower than Lola Health’s Core Health 45, and the Ultimate test’s 15-day turnaround is notably slow compared to competitors.

Randox Health Pricing

Randox Health is the premium end of the UK blood testing market. With over 40 clinics nationwide, Randox offers in-person health checks using their proprietary Biochip Array Technology, which can analyse hundreds of biomarkers simultaneously.

• Vital Health Check: from around £150 — a focused panel covering core health areas including blood pressure, body composition, and key blood markers.
• Everyman / Everywoman: £295 (150+ data points) — their flagship comprehensive check covering heart, liver, kidney, thyroid, hormones, nutrition, and metabolic health. Results available within 2 hours at clinic.
• Signature Programme: from £399 upwards — combines all Everyman/Everywoman markers with specialist consultations, genetic insights, and follow-up appointments. Packages can reach over £1,000.

Turnaround: As fast as 2 hours for the Everyman/Everywoman check (in-clinic). Doctor review: Included, with in-person or virtual consultations available.

On a pure per-biomarker basis, the Everyman/Everywoman package at approximately £1.97 per data point is exceptional value. The trade-off is you must visit one of their clinics in person — there is no home collection option for their comprehensive panels. If you live near a Randox clinic and want the sheer volume of data, this is hard to beat on numbers alone. However, many of those 150+ data points include derived measurements and ratios rather than unique biomarker assays.

Selph Pricing

Selph (previously available through Superdrug as a partner brand) offers finger-prick home testing kits with a focus on specific health concerns rather than broad wellness panels.

• Cholesterol Blood Test: £49 (6 biomarkers)
• Metabolic Health: £69 (8 biomarkers)
• Iron, Vitamin D & B12 Deficiency: £79 (3 biomarkers)
• Tiredness & Low Energy: £99 (7 biomarkers)
• Essential Vitamins and Minerals: £199 (8 biomarkers)
• 7 Simple Checks: £245 (40 biomarkers) — their most comprehensive panel

Turnaround: Kits dispatched same day (before 2pm), results within a few working days. Doctor review: All results reviewed by a doctor.

Selph’s individual tests are competitively priced for targeted checks (a £49 cholesterol panel covering 6 lipid markers is good value). However, their comprehensive “7 Simple Checks” at £245 for 40 biomarkers is expensive compared to alternatives — Lola Health’s Core Health 45 offers more biomarkers via venous draw for £155.

Superdrug Walk-in Blood Tests

Superdrug launched a walk-in blood test service in late 2025, available at selected health clinics across the UK. A nurse takes a venous blood sample on-site — no appointment needed at most locations.

• Advanced Health Check: £159 (44 biomarkers) — covers cholesterol, HbA1c, liver function, vitamin D, B12, folate, advanced iron, CRP, and full blood count.

The Superdrug service is notable as one of the few venous blood draw options available on the high street. At £159 for 44 biomarkers (£3.61/biomarker), it is price-competitive. The main limitations are availability (currently only in around 72 stores during an initial trial) and the lack of a comprehensive doctor’s report — results include basic reference ranges but not the detailed, personalised commentary provided by dedicated testing services like Lola Health or Medichecks.

NHS Blood Tests: What’s Free?

The cheapest blood test in the UK is, of course, a free one through the NHS. Blood tests ordered by your GP or hospital consultant are fully covered at the point of use. Common tests you can get free include:

• Full blood count (FBC)
• Liver and kidney function
• Cholesterol and lipid profile
• HbA1c for diabetes screening
• Thyroid function (TSH, often T4)
• Iron studies and ferritin
• Vitamin D (increasingly requested)
• PSA for prostate screening (men over 50)
• CRP for inflammation

The catch: Your GP must consider the test medically necessary. You cannot walk in and request a comprehensive 45-biomarker wellness screen. GPs are under pressure to manage testing budgets and will typically only order tests relevant to a specific symptom or condition. This means tests like vitamin B12, folate, magnesium, DHEA, cortisol, sex hormones (without fertility concerns), and advanced cardiovascular markers like Lp(a) or ApoB are rarely available through the NHS unless there is a clinical indication.

There is also the practical issue of time. Booking a GP appointment, attending a separate phlebotomy session, and waiting for results to come back can take 2–4 weeks. Private testing typically delivers results within 2–5 working days.

If you have specific symptoms and your GP is willing to investigate, the NHS is clearly the best option — it is free, uses venous blood, and comes with clinical follow-up. But if you want a broad picture of your health for preventative purposes, a private comprehensive panel fills a gap that the NHS simply does not cover.

What to Look for Beyond Price

Choosing a blood test solely on price can be false economy. Here are the factors that genuinely affect the quality and usefulness of your results:

Venous Blood vs Finger Prick

This is the single biggest quality differentiator. Venous blood draws (from the arm, performed by a phlebotomist) produce a larger, cleaner sample that is less susceptible to haemolysis — the breaking down of red blood cells that can skew results for potassium, LDH, magnesium, and other markers. Finger-prick samples require squeezing the finger, which can contaminate the blood with tissue fluid and produce falsely elevated or depressed readings. For a full blood count in particular, venous blood is the clinical standard for a reason.

Finger-prick kits are convenient and perfectly acceptable for simpler panels (cholesterol, HbA1c, vitamin D). But for comprehensive panels testing 40+ biomarkers, venous blood is meaningfully more reliable.

Number of Biomarkers

More is not always better, but breadth matters for a general health check. A 25-biomarker panel will miss thyroid function, hormones, and several vitamin deficiencies that a 45–70 biomarker panel catches. If you are spending money on a private test, it is worth getting enough markers to form a complete picture rather than needing a second (or third) test later.

Turnaround Time

Most providers deliver results within 2–5 working days. Outliers include Randox (2 hours in-clinic) and Forth’s Ultimate panel (up to 15 working days). Faster turnaround generally means less anxiety and quicker action if something needs attention.

Doctor / GP Review

Raw numbers without context are difficult to act on. Most reputable providers include a doctor’s review with personalised commentary. Check whether this is a brief automated flag or a genuine written report from a clinician. Lola Health, Medichecks, and Thriva all provide detailed doctor-reviewed reports. Some Superdrug results offer more limited interpretation.

Hidden Fees

Watch for additional charges for venous collection (Medichecks charges £35–£59 on top of the test price), return postage, or follow-up consultations. The advertised price is not always the final price. Lola Health’s pricing includes the home phlebotomist visit with no additional fees, making it easier to compare like-for-like.

Which Is the Best Value Blood Test in the UK?

There is no single “best” option — it depends on what you need. Here is an honest breakdown by use case:

If you want the cheapest possible wellness check: Forth’s Baseline Plus at £79 for 25 biomarkers is hard to undercut. It is finger-prick only and covers fewer markers, but for a basic snapshot of your health on a tight budget, it does the job.

If you want comprehensive testing with venous accuracy: Lola Health’s Core Health 45 at £155 (including home nurse visit) offers the best combination of biomarker count, sample quality, and price. Medichecks’ Essential test is cheaper at £89 base, but once you add £59 for a home nurse venous draw, the total is £148 for only 38 biomarkers — just £7 less than Lola Health for 7 fewer markers.

If you want the most biomarkers for your money: Randox Health’s Everyman/Everywoman at £295 tests over 150 data points with a remarkably low per-marker cost. You do need to visit a clinic in person, but if breadth of data is your priority and you live near a Randox location, this is the volume leader.

If you want the deepest comprehensive panel from home: Lola Health’s Peak Insights 70 at £220 covers 70 biomarkers with venous collection, a GP report, and no hidden fees. The closest comparable from Medichecks (Ultimate Performance at £199 + £59 nurse visit = £258) costs more for fewer biomarkers (56 vs 70).

If you want a quick check on the high street: Superdrug at £159 for 44 biomarkers with venous collection is a strong walk-in option — though availability is currently limited to trial stores.

If cost is no object: Randox Signature programmes (from £399) and Medichecks Ultimate Performance with nurse visit (£258) both offer deep insights, though neither tests more unique biomarkers than Lola Health’s Peak Insights 70 at a lower total cost.

Frequently Asked Questions