Home kit
Bowel Health Check
Calprotectin and FIT from one stool sample: a check for bowel inflammation and hidden blood together.
- Doctor-reviewed results
- Laboratory analysis
- 3 to 5 working days from lab receipt
- No fasting required
What’s included
2 markers measured
Calprotectin (stool)
A white blood cell marker measured in a stool sample. A raised level may suggest active inflammation in the bowel, while a normal result is usual in irritable bowel syndrome and can help rule out inflammatory bowel disease. It supports a clinician's assessment rather than giving a diagnosis on its own.
Faecal immunochemical test (FIT)
Measures tiny amounts of human blood in a stool sample that may not be visible to the eye. It is specific to human haemoglobin, so what you have eaten does not affect it.
Overview
Calprotectin helps show whether the bowel wall is inflamed, and FIT measures blood that the eye cannot see. Together they give you and your GP two useful pieces of information from one sample.
These two stool tests look at different parts of the same question. Calprotectin helps show whether the bowel wall is inflamed, which helps tell inflammatory bowel disease apart from irritable bowel syndrome. FIT measures blood in the stool that the eye cannot see. One sample covers both, and a doctor reads them as a pair alongside your symptoms and explains what usually happens next.
Who this is for and who it isn’t
Who it’s for
- Adults aged 18 and over
- Anyone who wants inflammation and hidden blood checked together from one sample
- People with inflammatory bowel disease or bowel cancer in the family
Who it isn’t for
- Neither test looks at the bowel directly, and a camera test is what does that. Normal results are reassuring but they do not settle a symptom that continues, and blood you can see, unexplained weight loss or a persistent change in bowel habit need a GP appointment whatever these results say, and so does a low iron or ferritin result with no obvious explanation. Anti-inflammatory painkillers can raise calprotectin, and a period or bleeding from piles can affect a FIT result, so the timing of your sample matters, and please tell us about any medicines you take.
- Anyone with a new, severe or worsening symptom: contact your GP or call NHS 111. A test you buy today is not a substitute for being examined.
Common reasons people choose this test
- Inflammatory bowel disease or bowel cancer in a close relative
- A previous label of irritable bowel syndrome you were never sure about
- Wanting solid information before a GP appointment
These are reasons people choose to test, not signs that something is wrong. A result is one part of a picture your doctor puts together with your history and an examination.
What your result looks like
Every result is shown with the unit and the reference range exactly as the laboratory reported it, with the doctor’s note underneath.
- Calprotectin (stool)▲ High
- Result
- 180 µg/g
- Range
- <50
- Faecal immunochemical test (FIT)In range
- Result
- <4 µg Hb/g faeces
- Range
- <10
| Marker | Result | Units | Range | Flag |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calprotectin (stool) | 180 | µg/g | <50 | ▲ High |
| Faecal immunochemical test (FIT) | <4 | µg Hb/g faeces | <10 | In range |
Doctor’s note (example)
Calprotectin is above the range, which points towards inflammation in the bowel rather than a sensitive but uninflamed one. Anti-inflammatory painkillers and a recent stomach bug both lift it, so a clinician would usually repeat it or refer for a camera test depending on your symptoms.
Values above are examples. Your report shows your own results with the laboratory’s units and reference range for your age and sex, reviewed, signed and released by a GMC-registered doctor.
How it works
- Your kit arrivesPosted to your door, with instructions and what you need to send your sample back.
- You take your sampleA stool sample you collect at home, using the kit we post you
- The laboratory analyses itYour sample is processed for the measurements included in this test. Lab processing typically takes 3 to 5 working days from receipt of your sample.
- A doctor reviews and releases itA GMC-registered doctor reads every result and signs the report before it reaches you.
- Sample
- Home stool kit
- Preparation
- No fasting required
- Who it's for
- Any sex · ages 18+
How to prepare
What we can and can’t tell you
The reference range beside each result is the laboratory’s own. A result in range is not a clean bill of health and a result outside it is not a diagnosis. Most ranges cover about 95% of healthy people, so about 1 in 20 healthy people fall just outside any one range. No test result replaces an examination or your own doctor’s judgement, and none of these panels is a cancer screening programme.
Read the full note
FIT measures blood in a single stool sample. Bowels can bleed on and off, so a result below the threshold is reassuring but does not settle a symptom that carries on, and a result above it does not always mean cancer, since piles, small tears and polyps are common causes, but it always needs following up. Calprotectin rises with inflammation from many causes, including anti-inflammatory painkillers and a recent stomach bug.
Neither test looks at the bowel itself; a camera test does that. Whatever the result, blood you can see, a lasting change in bowel habit, unexplained weight loss or tummy pain that does not go away need your GP.
Frequently asked questions
Is it one sample or two?
One collection, sent for both tests.
What if one is raised and the other is not?
It is useful to know. A raised calprotectin with a normal FIT points towards inflammation rather than bleeding. A raised FIT with a normal calprotectin means there is blood that needs explaining, which is a reason to see your GP. The reviewing doctor reads them as a pair and explains what usually follows.
When should I avoid taking the sample?
During a period and for two days either side, while you have visible bleeding from piles, and while you have a stomach bug or until you have fully recovered from one. Anti-inflammatory painkillers such as ibuprofen also raise calprotectin, so tell us if you take them rather than stopping them.
Do both results come back together?
Yes, in one report signed by the reviewing doctor, with each result beside the laboratory's own range.
How long do results take?
The laboratory typically takes 3 to 5 working days from receiving your sample. This does not include kit delivery, sample collection or return postage. A doctor reviews your results before they are released.
Can I choose a home kit or a clinic?
This test uses a stool sample you collect at home, not a blood sample. The kit arrives by post with step-by-step instructions and what you need to send it back.
Is a doctor involved?
Yes. Every result is reviewed by a GMC-registered doctor who signs it off and explains what it means and what to do next.
Is it confidential?
Your results are available through your secure patient portal. Our privacy policy explains how your information is handled and when it may be shared to provide your care.
What happens to my sample and results?
Your sample is analysed at a UKAS-accredited laboratory (ISO 15189). A GMC-registered doctor then reads every result and signs the report before it is released to your secure portal, so nothing reaches you unreviewed. Each result is reported with the laboratory's own threshold or range. The doctor's note explains what your result means and what usually happens next: a FIT result above the threshold is a reason to see your GP, who may arrange further tests such as a camera test. If a result needs urgent attention, the reviewing doctor is alerted straight away and we contact you by phone the same working day rather than leaving it in the portal for you to find.
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