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

Ferritin (iron stores) test
in Oxford.

Ferritin shows how much iron your body has in reserve. Low iron stores are one of the most common, and most fixable, causes of tiredness, especially for women with heavy periods and anyone on a plant-based diet.
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Ferritin 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 Ferritin tells you.

Ferritin is the protein that stores iron, and the amount in your blood mirrors the amount in store. It falls before anaemia shows on a full blood count, so it can catch iron deficiency early. It also rises with inflammation, infection and liver problems, which is why a high result needs context.

It can…

  • Show whether your iron stores are low, even before you become anaemic
  • Confirm that iron tablets are working when repeated after two to three months
  • Flag a high level that needs further tests

It can’t…

  • Tell you why your iron is low - heavy periods, diet and gut absorption are the usual reasons, and persistent unexplained low iron needs your GP
  • Diagnose iron overload on its own - a high ferritin is more often inflammation or liver-related
Worth booking if

A good fit if…

  • You feel tired, breathless on stairs, or notice hair thinning or brittle nails
  • You have heavy periods, are pregnant or planning a pregnancy
  • You eat little or no meat, or you donate blood regularly
  • You are taking iron and want to know whether it has worked
See your GP first if

Not the right first step if…

  • Black or bloody stools, unexplained weight loss, or a change in bowel habit
  • Low iron with no obvious cause, particularly in men or after the menopause
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 30
30 to upper range
Above range
Iron deficiency
Normal
High – needs context
Example: 22 micrograms/L sits in the red band – iron deficiency; a supplement is advised.
ResultWhat it usually meansWhat we do
Below 30 micrograms/LIron deficiencyA supplement is usually advised; the pharmacist will suggest the dose and when to recheck, and a GP letter if the cause is unclear.
30 to 100 micrograms/LLower end of normalFine for most people; if you are tired or have heavy periods, a modest iron boost may still help.
Above the analyser’s upper rangeHighUsually inflammation, infection or liver-related rather than iron overload. We give you a GP letter for further tests.
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.
Ferritin FAQ

Common questions, answered.

No. Keep taking any iron or multivitamin and tell us what you take.

UK guidance treats ferritin below 30 as iron deficiency for everyone. Some older reference ranges used a lower cut-off for women, which missed many women who would benefit from treatment.

Not directly. Ferritin shows your iron stores; a full blood count shows anaemia. Low ferritin usually comes first, so it is the earlier warning.

High ferritin is usually a sign of inflammation or a liver issue rather than too much iron. We never label it iron overload from one finger-prick; your GP checks it properly with our letter.

In UK guidance, below 30 micrograms/L means your iron stores are depleted, for men and women alike. Levels at the lower end of normal can still leave some people tired, especially with heavy periods. The pharmacist explains your result and what to do next.

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 →

Folate blood test

£39 · same visit
Read more →

Vitamin D blood test

£39 · same visit
Read more →

CRP (inflammation) 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 Ferritin test?

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