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

Cystatin C kidney test
in Oxford.

A marker of how well your kidneys are filtering, from one finger-prick, while you wait. Cystatin C is less affected by muscle mass, diet and age than the usual creatinine test, which makes it a useful first check.
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Cystatin C 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
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📞 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 Cystatin C tells you.

Cystatin C is a small protein made by every cell at a steady rate and cleared only by the kidneys. When filtration slows, the level in the blood rises. NICE recommends it as a confirmatory test when a creatinine result is borderline, and it is a sensible screening marker for anyone who wants to check their kidney health.

It can…

  • Give an early indication that kidney filtration is reduced
  • Offer a check for people whose muscle mass makes creatinine unreliable - very muscular, very slim or older adults

It can’t…

  • Diagnose or stage kidney disease - that needs a laboratory eGFR and a urine protein test over three months, through your GP
  • Replace the yearly NHS kidney check if you have diabetes or high blood pressure
Worth booking if

A good fit if…

  • You have high blood pressure or diabetes and want a check between NHS reviews
  • Kidney disease runs in your family
  • You take regular anti-inflammatory painkillers or other medicines that can affect the kidneys
  • You simply want to know, and your GP has no reason to test
See your GP first if

Not the right first step if…

  • Swollen ankles, foamy urine, blood in the urine or passing very little urine
  • A known kidney condition - stay with your specialist's monitoring
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.
In range
Mildly above
Clearly above
Normal filtration
Worth confirming
See your GP
Example: 0.84 mg/L, inside the analyser range – normal.
ResultWhat it usually meansWhat we do
Within the analyser’s reference rangeNormal filtrationNo action needed.
Mildly above rangePossibly reduced filtrationWorth confirming. We give you a GP letter asking for an eGFR and a urine test.
Clearly above rangeReduced filtration likelySee your GP soon with our letter; the laboratory tests decide what happens next.
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.
Cystatin C FAQ

Common questions, answered.

Creatinine comes from muscle, so very muscular or very slim people get misleading results. Cystatin C is produced evenly by all cells, so it gives a cleaner picture from a finger-prick.

The analyser reports your cystatin C level against its reference range. Your GP’s laboratory calculates an eGFR and checks a urine sample if anything needs confirming.

No. Drink normally; being very dehydrated can nudge the result up.

Yes, both can raise cystatin C. Tell us so we can take it into account.

Yes, but mainly as a follow-up when a creatinine result is borderline, which is how NICE recommends it is used. It is not a routine first test, so most people have never had one.

It is less affected by muscle mass, diet and age, so it gives a cleaner first look, especially for very muscular, very slim or older adults. Laboratories use both; a raised result from either is confirmed with a full eGFR and a urine test.

Roughly 0.6 to 1.0 mg/L in adults, although the exact range depends on the analyser and your age. Your printed result shows the range used and the pharmacist explains it.

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 →

HbA1c (blood sugar) test

£39 · same visit
Read more →

hs-CRP test

£39 · same visit
Read more →

Cholesterol (full profile)

£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 Cystatin C test?

£39, result while you wait, explained by a pharmacist. Book online for Summertown.
Book Cystatin C test →