Private blood testing?

[tryingtobehealthyatlast]

Hello. Has anyone any recommendations for private blood tests? I've been feeling quite tired and a bit run down. Just for peace of mind and to be a bit in the know before going to my GP - plus the waiting list is horrendous!

Bump
Or even those tests that you do at home? Does anyone have any idea if they're any good?

The nurses do blood tests at our practice, usually can get an appointment within 10 days. I couldn’t do a blood test at home, nurse usually takes 3 vials of blood, there’s no way I could do this myself.

ooh thank you for replying, how long do you usually have to wait for results though?
can I just book a blood test myself at my GPs? guess I'd better give them a call and see

I got a blood test the following day after emailing the doctors...results back in 4 days

That's great to hear, thank you!

You can't order a blood test unless you know what you're looking for. You would need to specify which samples (fasting vs random), which bottles (serum [yellow cap], citrate [blue], EDTA [purple], heparin [green], fluoride/oxalate [grey]) and which tests (full blood count, urea & elecrolytes, liver function, thyroid function, serum biochemistry, clotting, etc., etc.). And each test needs to be paid for, which is one reason why doctors only order tests that are relevant to what they think the problem is likely to be or to rule out specific possibilities. Ordering tests that aren't relevant always runs the risk of turning up spurious results that lead to patients' undergoing unnecessary additional tests and possibly harmful treatments for conditions they don't have. This is one of the most common causes of medical error.