Blood test · Summertown, Oxford
✓ Finger-prick sample · result while you wait · No fasting

hs-CRP test
in Oxford.

A sensitive measure of low-level inflammation in the body, used as one extra piece of information alongside your cholesterol, blood pressure and family history. It is not a heart check on its own, and we will say so plainly.
Book hs-CRP test
All 13 blood tests
hs-CRP test icon
Price per test
£39
Finger-prick · result while you wait · No fasting
OVER 18S · NO GP REFERRAL · SUMMERTOWN
  • One fingertip sample, no needle in the arm
  • Pharmacist explains the result before you leave
  • Printed or emailed result, and a GP letter if needed
Book now →
📞 Call Summertown
Screening test, not a diagnosis. Out-of-range results are confirmed by a laboratory test through your GP.
Same visit
Result while you wait
£39
All-inclusive, no clinic fee
No fasting
Preparation
18+
Adults only · book online
What the test measures

What hs-CRP tells you.

High-sensitivity CRP measures C-reactive protein at the very low levels (under 10 mg/L) that a standard CRP test cannot read accurately. Persistently raised low-level inflammation is associated with a higher long-term risk of heart disease, which is why it is sometimes added to a risk assessment.

It can…

  • Add context to a cholesterol result and blood pressure reading
  • Show whether low-level inflammation is persistently raised when repeated a few weeks apart

It can’t…

  • Tell you your heart risk on its own - the NHS uses the QRISK score, which does not include hs-CRP
  • Be read as a heart marker when it is above 10 mg/L: that means an infection or inflammation, and the test should be repeated in two to three weeks
Worth booking if

A good fit if…

  • You are checking your cholesterol and want the fuller picture
  • You have a family history of early heart disease
  • You are working on weight, fitness or smoking and want a marker to follow
See your GP first if

Not the right first step if…

  • Chest pain, breathlessness or a racing heart - call 999, do not book a test
  • A recent cold, infection or injury - wait two to three weeks or the result will be raised
A finger-prick test cannot assess an emergency. Call 999 for chest pain, breathlessness or collapse.
Your visit

What happens, start to finish.

About thirty minutes in total, most of it the pharmacist talking you through the result.

1. Book online

Pick your test and a time at Summertown.

2. A few questions

Medicines, symptoms and consent, in the consultation room.

3. One finger-prick

A few drops onto the test cartridge. Less than a flu jab.

4. A short wait

The analyser runs while you wait in the pharmacy.

5. Result explained

Against the UK ranges, with what it can and cannot tell you.

6. Your next step

Printed or emailed result, advice, and a GP letter if one is needed.

Understanding your result

What your result looks like, and what it means.

Your printed and emailed result shows your value on a traffic-light bar like this, with a plain-English line and your next step.
Below 1
1 to 3
3 to 10
Above 10
Lower added risk
Average
Higher added risk
Inflammation – repeat
Example: 1.4 mg/L sits in the amber band – average added risk.
ResultWhat it usually meansWhat we do
Below 1 mg/LLower added riskReassuring. Keep doing what you are doing.
1 to 3 mg/LAverage added riskWorth reviewing alongside cholesterol, blood pressure and lifestyle.
Above 3 mg/LHigher added riskRepeat in two to three weeks to confirm it is persistent; discuss with your GP alongside your other risk factors.
Above 10 mg/LActive inflammation or infectionNot a heart result. Repeat once you are well; see your GP if you have symptoms.
These bands are the usual UK guide; your printed result shows the exact reference range the analyser uses. Some healthy people fall just outside a range, and one reading is a snapshot. The pharmacist reads your result with your history, and anything that needs confirming goes to your GP with a letter.
hs-CRP FAQ

Common questions, answered.

Not on its own. It is one marker that adds context to cholesterol, blood pressure, age, smoking and family history. Your GP’s risk score (QRISK) does not include it.

Same protein, different range. hs-CRP reads very low levels for long-term risk; the standard CRP test reads higher levels linked to infection and inflammation.

No.

Yes. Up to four tests can be run from one finger-prick, and cholesterol plus hs-CRP is a common pair.

A persistently raised level points to low-grade inflammation, which is associated with a higher long-term risk of heart disease. One high reading can simply be a recent cold, so we repeat it after two to three weeks, and it is always read alongside your cholesterol and blood pressure rather than on its own.

Often checked together

Add a test from the same finger-prick.

Up to four tests can run from one sample, each £39. See all 13 blood tests →

Cholesterol (full profile)

£39 · same visit
Read more →

CRP (inflammation) test

£39 · same visit
Read more →

HbA1c (blood sugar) test

£39 · same visit
Read more →
Where

MediPill Summertown

📍 227 Banbury Road, Oxford OX2 7HQ
📞 01865 558 348
Blood tests run Monday to Friday. Opening hours and directions →
Book at Summertown
Who runs it

Pharmacist-led

Led by pharmacist Uthmaan Abbasi (GPhC 2237035). Analysed on a professional point-of-care analyser in our consultation room – your sample never leaves the building.

Ready for your hs-CRP test?

£39, result while you wait, explained by a pharmacist. Book online for Summertown.
Book hs-CRP test →