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

Rheumatoid factor (RF) test
in Oxford.

A first screening test for rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatoid factor is an antibody that is raised in many people with the condition, and the result is explained the same visit – including what it cannot tell you.
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Rheumatoid factor 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 Rheumatoid factor tells you.

Rheumatoid factor is an antibody that targets the body’s own tissue. Around four in five people with rheumatoid arthritis have a raised level, but so do some healthy people, particularly older adults, and people with other conditions or recent infections. It is a pointer, not a verdict.

It can…

  • Flag that further tests for rheumatoid arthritis are worth doing
  • Give your GP a useful starting point alongside your symptoms

It can’t…

  • Confirm rheumatoid arthritis - a positive result needs anti-CCP, inflammation markers and a clinical assessment
  • Rule it out - about one in five people with rheumatoid arthritis test negative
Worth booking if

A good fit if…

  • You have aching or stiff joints, worse in the morning, and want a first check
  • Rheumatoid arthritis runs in your family
  • You want to be better informed before a GP appointment
See your GP first if

Not the right first step if…

  • Joints that are swollen, warm, or stiff for more than 30 minutes in the morning for several weeks - see your GP whatever this result says; early treatment matters
  • One hot, red, very painful joint - urgent care the same day
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 14
14 to 60
Above 60
Negative
Raised
High
Example: 9 IU/mL sits in the green band – negative (which does not rule arthritis out).
ResultWhat it usually meansWhat we do
Below 14 IU/mLNegativeReassuring, but it does not rule out arthritis. Persistent joint symptoms still need your GP.
14 to 60 IU/mLRaisedWorth following up. We give you a GP letter asking for anti-CCP and inflammation tests.
Above 60 IU/mLHighSee your GP soon with our letter; a high level with joint symptoms usually leads to a rheumatology referral.
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.
Rheumatoid factor FAQ

Common questions, answered.

A negative result makes rheumatoid arthritis less likely but does not exclude it. If your joints are swollen or stiff for weeks, see your GP regardless.

Age, recent infections, hepatitis, other autoimmune conditions and some lung and liver conditions. That is why a positive result needs more tests before anything is diagnosed.

They will usually use it as a reason to run their own tests (anti-CCP, CRP, ESR) and examine your joints. Our letter makes that quick.

Yes, and it is a sensible pair: CRP shows whether there is active inflammation now.

Below 14 IU/mL is a negative result. Remember that about one in five people with rheumatoid arthritis still test negative, so persistent joint symptoms need your GP whatever the number.

A raised result on its own does not mean you have rheumatoid arthritis – it is also raised in some healthy people, with age, and after infections. Your GP will usually add anti-CCP and inflammation tests and examine your joints; we give you a letter to make that quick.

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 →

CRP (inflammation) test

£39 · same visit
Read more →

Vitamin D blood test

£39 · same visit
Read more →

Ferritin (iron stores) 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 Rheumatoid factor test?

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