Private Blood Tests and PMDD

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Our 12 year old has been struggling with her mental health for past 12 months or so.
We're on CAMHS list but it could be months if not years before we get seen.

Our GP can't help and says we need to wait on CAMHS so we're really left with no help at all for now, like so many others.

We have some private psychologist support but one possible pattern emerging (as well as neurodiversity) is likes of PMDD (more severe type of PMS) or thyroid issues. A blood test might help rule out anything like this and we know there are treatment options available if it did show something up.

All the private blood test companies online and even local private GPs appear to only treat people 18 years or over though. Can anyone help with how this would work in the UK?

I'm in central Scotland. We called what seem like the "large" private GP providers (bases in Glasgow and Edinburgh) and they said they can't see under 18s.
We'll pickup again tomorrow though.

My private GP will be too far away then unfortunately. Hope you manage to find someone who can help you.

Private blood tests are very expensive, if your child has seen a specialist in the private sector often a GP would agree to run the blood tests as requested, in my experience. Good luck OP.

@Roselilly36 You’ve been lucky. Most nhs surgeries won’t do private blood tests as they
outside the nhs contracti and they don’t get paid fir them, plus don’t have the time and resources to be doing these extra bloods

@Riverlee tbh I am going back a while, 12 years, my GP was very sympathetic to my situation, I was going through my dx for Multiple Sclerosis at the time. My private cover had all but run out with my MRI’s and consultant appts. Private blood tests would have cost as much as my three section MRI’s!

To give an update here for anyone interested or reading in future.

We waited the week for the GP appointment and GP was apologetic but clear she could not help at all as it's an under 18. Can't even update CAMHS. Didn't ask any questions at all of my daughter despite us making clear how seriously it's affecting her.

GP passed us details of Community Psychiatric Nurse who can at least pass some information to CAMHS.

Community Psychiatric Nurse works only 1 day a week, has limited experience with under 18s and is off this week. Will see where that takes us next week but it's pretty worrying stuff given impact on our daughter. There is almost no NHS support unless we go to A&E.

Have managed to get a blood test arranged which will check for things like diabetes etc. but seems like a bit of a waste of time as it does point towards PMS/PMDD.
Doing what we can with exercise and some other non-medical ideas.

That's odd.

Try another GP in the practice?

To give a further update in case helps someone else.

We eventually got a "general" blood test (sorry not sure exact name) via different GP at same practice. It showed vitamin D deficiency and we got a supplement (calcium I think). With hindsight the diabolical weather over 2024 and change in behaviour as pre-teen likely related.
So far it does seem to have made a real difference for her! Glad we kept pushing along but found it very uncomfortable process given the level of impact it was causing.

When we did eventually get to CAMHS appointment we raised anyway and they said no way they could help at all and explained we'd need to back to GP (who'd directed us to CAMHS)!

I expect larger US style private health service is going to emerge unless serious changes are made in the NHS. Maybe what the Gvt want.

Thanks to everyone!