Private blood test or NHS? How to get a blood test in Oxford, what it costs and how long results take
“Can I just get a blood test?” is a question we hear at the counter most weeks. Usually it comes from someone who is tired all the time, or who had a result from their GP a year ago and wants to know whether it has moved, or who is planning a pregnancy and wants a number before the conversation with their doctor. The answer is yes, in two ways: free through the NHS when a clinician asks for one, or privately when you want to choose the test yourself. This post explains the difference, what a private test costs, and how long you wait for the result on each route.
This is general information, not a personal recommendation. A blood test result is a number, not a diagnosis. If something in your result needs looking into, the next step is your GP.
The short answer
- NHS blood tests are free, but a GP, nurse or specialist decides whether you need one. The sample usually goes to a laboratory, and the NHS says you may get results after a few days, and usually within a few weeks.
- A private blood test lets you choose the test. No referral is needed. Many private services send the sample to a lab, with the result in days, and some charge separately for taking the sample.
- At MediPill Summertown, a private finger-prick test is £39, with the result while you wait and a pharmacist going through it with you at the same visit. There are 13 tests, up to four from one sample, for adults aged 18 and over. See the tests and book online.
How an NHS blood test works
On the NHS, a blood test is something a healthcare professional asks for, rather than something you book yourself. The NHS lists the common reasons: to check your general health, to find out whether symptoms are caused by a particular condition, to see whether you are more likely to get a condition, or to check how well a condition is being managed. If your GP, nurse or specialist thinks you need one, they tell you how to book it, and some surgeries and hospitals let you book online.
The test itself is usually done at the surgery or hospital and takes about 10 minutes. Blood is most often taken from the inside of your elbow with a needle, though sometimes it is taken from the wrist or by a finger-prick. The sample is collected in a small tube and sent to a laboratory.
Results: the NHS says you may get your results after a few days, and usually within a few weeks. Some surgeries only contact you if they need to discuss the result, and you may be able to see it yourself in the NHS App. If you have not heard anything after a few weeks, the NHS advises contacting the surgery.
Preparing: only if you are told to. For some tests you may need to fast (nothing but water for a short time beforehand) or to pause certain medicines. Your surgery will say if either applies.
This route is the right one whenever you have symptoms that need a doctor’s judgement about which tests to run. It is free, it is thorough, and the person reading the result knows your history.
When a private blood test makes sense
A private test is for the situations where there is no clinical reason for the NHS to test you, but you still want to know a number. The common ones we see:
- You want one specific level checked, such as vitamin D in winter, iron stores, blood sugar or cholesterol, without waiting for an appointment to ask for it.
- You are keeping an eye on a known result between GP appointments, for example cholesterol or HbA1c after changing your diet.
- You are planning a pregnancy or thinking ahead about fertility, and would like an AMH (egg reserve) or progesterone result to take to that conversation.
- You feel generally tired or run down and want a starting point. Ferritin, folate and vitamin D are the usual first checks.
- You would rather know today than wait.
What a private test is not: a replacement for seeing a doctor about symptoms, or a way to diagnose a condition. If your result needs following up, you need your GP, and a good private service will say so.
How much is a private blood test?
Private blood test prices vary a lot, and the headline figure is not always the whole cost. Three things to check before you book anywhere:
- Is taking the sample included? Some services charge for the test and then a separate fee for the blood draw, or for a nurse visit.
- Where is the sample analysed? Most private blood tests are sent away to a laboratory, so the result comes back by email or an app, typically in days. Nobody is in the room to explain it.
- Who explains the result? A number on its own is easy to misread. Ask whether a pharmacist or doctor goes through it with you, and whether that is included.
At MediPill Summertown the price is £39 per test, and that is the whole price. It covers the test, the finger-prick sample and a pharmacist talking you through the result before you leave. Up to four tests can be run from one sample, at £39 each, and there are two four-test packages at £129 (a 45-minute appointment): a weight management screen (vitamin D, ferritin, folate and HbA1c) and a cardiac health screen (hs-CRP, cholesterol, HbA1c and cystatin C, with your blood pressure and BMI taken on the day).
If all you want is a quick cholesterol check, our Botley branch also offers a £30 cholesterol and glucose test. Details are on the cholesterol test page.
The 13 tests you can book
| Test | What it measures |
|---|---|
| Ferritin | Iron stores, the common and fixable cause of tiredness |
| Folate | A B vitamin needed for red blood cells |
| Vitamin D | Bones, muscles and immunity; low for many people in winter |
| HbA1c | Your average blood sugar over about three months |
| Cholesterol (full profile) | Total, LDL, HDL and triglycerides; no fasting needed |
| hs-CRP | Low-level inflammation, read alongside cholesterol |
| Cystatin C | A marker of how well the kidneys are filtering |
| CRP | Whether there is inflammation or infection going on now |
| Rheumatoid factor | A first screen used when rheumatoid arthritis is a question |
| AMH | Egg reserve for your age; any day of your cycle |
| Progesterone | Whether you ovulated; taken about seven days before your period |
| Pregnancy (hCG) | The pregnancy hormone in blood, earlier than a urine test; done in a private room |
| Cortisol | The stress hormone at its morning peak; first appointments, before 10am |
Not sure which test answers your question? Ask the pharmacist first. Advice is free, and if a test is not going to help you, we will say so.
Finger-prick or needle: what to expect
The NHS blood test most people know takes blood from a vein in the arm. A finger-prick test takes a few drops from a fingertip instead. At Summertown the sample is analysed in the pharmacy while you wait, and the whole appointment takes about thirty minutes, most of it the pharmacist talking you through the result.
You leave with your result printed, or emailed to you the same day if you prefer. If anything in it needs a doctor’s attention, you also leave with a letter for your GP, so the next conversation starts from the number rather than from scratch.
Preparing for a private test: when you book, we tell you if the test you have chosen needs any preparation. Two have timing rules of their own: cortisol is taken in the morning, before 10am, and progesterone about seven days before your period is due.
How to book
Private blood tests are at our Summertown pharmacy only, at 227 Banbury Road, Oxford OX2 7HQ, for adults aged 18 and over. No GP referral is needed.
Book online in a minute: choose your test, or up to four, and a time that suits you. If you are not sure what you need, call Summertown on 01865 558 348 and a pharmacist will help you decide.
Book a blood test at MediPill Summertown
Frequently asked questions
Can I get a blood test at a pharmacy? Yes. Pharmacies can offer private blood tests that you choose and pay for yourself. At MediPill this is a finger-prick test at our Summertown branch, with the result explained by a pharmacist at the same visit.
Do I need a GP referral for a private blood test? No. You choose the test and book it yourself. If the result needs following up, we give you a letter for your GP.
How much does a private blood test cost? Prices vary by provider and by what is included. At MediPill every test is £39, with nothing added for the sample or the explanation. The two four-test packages are £129 each.
How long do private blood test results take? It depends where the sample is analysed. Many private tests are sent to a laboratory and the result arrives in days. At MediPill Summertown the sample is analysed in the pharmacy, so you get the result at the same visit.
Is a private blood test free on the NHS if my GP agrees I need it? If your GP thinks you need the test, they can arrange it on the NHS at no cost to you. A private test is for when you want a number without a clinical reason for the NHS to test you.
Can my GP use a private blood test result? You can take the printed result to your GP, and if we think it needs their attention we give you a letter to go with it. Whether they act on it, or repeat the test, is their clinical decision.
Sources
- Blood tests – NHS. https://www.nhs.uk/tests-and-treatments/blood-tests/ (page last reviewed 2 November 2023; accessed 22 October 2026)
- Private blood tests in Oxford – MediPill Pharmacy. https://www.medipill.co.uk/blood-tests/ (accessed 22 October 2026)
- Cholesterol test – MediPill Pharmacy. https://www.medipill.co.uk/cholesterol/ (accessed 22 October 2026)
Written by Zain Rajabali, Superintendent Pharmacist – GPhC #2219769
Medically reviewed by Zain Rajabali, Superintendent Pharmacist, Independent Prescriber – GPhC #2219769
Last reviewed: 22 October 2026 · Next review due: April 2027
This article is general health information and is not a substitute for a consultation. It does not diagnose your symptoms. A blood test result is a number; what it means for you, and what happens next, is decided when you speak to a pharmacist or your GP.
