Clinic appointment
Diabetes Check (HbA1c)
Blood sugar right now, plus HbA1c, a measure of your average blood sugar over roughly the past two to three months.
- Doctor-reviewed results
- Laboratory analysis
- 1 to 2 working days from lab receipt
- Fasting preferred
What’s included
2 markers measured
Glucose
Measures the amount of sugar (glucose) in your blood when the sample is taken. It may be done after not eating for a few hours (a fasting test) or at other times, and the result is judged differently depending on when you last ate. A high level is mainly seen in diabetes.
HbA1c
Reflects blood glucose control over roughly the previous 8 to 12 weeks, without the need to fast. It is used to diagnose type 2 diabetes, but can be misleading in pregnancy, soon after symptoms start, and in people with abnormal haemoglobin, such as sickle cell trait, or altered red blood cell turnover.
Overview
Two measurements that answer different questions: glucose, which is your blood sugar at the moment of the draw, and HbA1c, which reflects average blood sugar over roughly the previous two to three months. People book it because type 2 diabetes runs in the family, because they are carrying extra weight around the middle, after gestational diabetes, or simply to have a number on record before making changes to diet or exercise.
Used to see how the body is handling sugar over time rather than at a single moment; a doctor interprets the result alongside weight, family history and symptoms.
Who this is for and who it isn’t
Who it’s for
- Adults aged 18 and over
- Adults with diabetes in the family or weight around the middle
- South Asian, Black African or Caribbean adults from 25, where NICE advises earlier checks
Who it isn’t for
- Two markers are a narrow view. This panel does not include cholesterol, liver, kidney or thyroid results, all of which sit alongside blood sugar in a metabolic picture. If you are very thirsty, passing urine much more than usual, losing weight without trying or feeling unwell, contact your GP or NHS 111 promptly rather than waiting for a result.
- 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
- A parent, brother or sister with type 2 diabetes
- A raised blood sugar reading at a pharmacy or health check
- Wanting a number on record before changing diet or exercise
- Carrying extra weight around the middle
- A previous result described as borderline or pre-diabetes
- A history of gestational diabetes
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.
- Glucose▲ High
- Result
- 6.3 mmol/L
- Range
- 4.0–5.9 (fasting)
- HbA1cIn range
- Result
- 36 mmol/mol
- Range
- 20–41
| Marker | Result | Units | Range | Flag |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glucose | 6.3 | mmol/L | 4.0–5.9 (fasting) | ▲ High |
| HbA1c | 36 | mmol/mol | 20–41 | In range |
Doctor’s note (example)
Fasting glucose is in the impaired range (6.1 to 6.9). With a normal HbA1c this may reflect the morning of the test; a repeat, fasted, settles it.
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
- You book your appointmentA trained clinician takes your sample at one of our London clinics. Nothing to do at home.
- The clinician takes your sampleA single clinic blood draw by a trained clinician
- The laboratory analyses itYour sample is processed for the measurements included in this test. Lab processing typically takes 1 to 2 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
- Clinic blood draw
- Preparation
- Fasting preferred
- Who it's for
- Any sex · ages 18+
How to prepare
A fasted sample is preferred for this test, which usually means nothing but water overnight. It is not essential, and the reviewing doctor takes it into account if you have eaten. If you can, book a morning slot and come before breakfast.
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
The reference range printed beside each of your results is the laboratory's own, and it is the range that applies to your result. We do not apply a second range of our own, and we do not tell you that a result the laboratory reported as normal is nonetheless too low or too high. If you see a claim elsewhere that your result ought to sit inside a narrower band than the one the laboratory printed, treat it with caution and ask your doctor.
Some assays cannot give an exact figure above or below a certain point, and those results are reported the way the laboratory sends them, for example as a value greater than a stated number. A result in range is not a clean bill of health, and a result outside a range is not a diagnosis: most reference ranges are set to cover about 95% of healthy people, so some healthy people fall just outside them. No blood test replaces an examination, a scan or your own doctor's judgement, and none of these panels is a screening programme for cancer.
If you have a symptom that is new, severe, or getting worse, contact your GP or NHS 111 rather than waiting for a test result. In an emergency call 999.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to fast?
Fasting is preferred, because a recent meal raises glucose and makes that result harder to read: ideally nothing but water overnight. It is not essential, and the reviewing doctor takes it into account if you have eaten. HbA1c is not affected by fasting, so even a non-fasting sample gives a usable HbA1c.
Can this result confirm whether I have diabetes?
No. UK practice is that a diagnosis is made by a clinician, normally on repeat testing and alongside your symptoms and history. This panel gives your GP the numbers to work from; the conclusion is theirs.
How long do results take?
The laboratory typically takes 1 to 2 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 is a clinic blood draw, as it needs a venous sample for accuracy. We arrange a convenient appointment for you.
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, so nothing reaches you unreviewed. There is no option to receive results without a doctor reading them first. The report arrives in your secure portal in plain English: each result with its unit and the laboratory's own reference range, and the doctor's note on what the set means read together. If a result sits outside its range the report says so and explains what usually happens next, which is most often a conversation with your own GP, who can act on it alongside your history and examination. Most reference ranges are set to cover about 95% of healthy people, so about 1 in 20 healthy people fall just outside any one of them. On a report with many results it is common for one to sit just outside its range, and a single number on its own rarely tells the whole story. 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. If a specific result needs rechecking, the reviewing doctor says so in your report.
People also check
See all longevity & prevention tests
Active Vitamin B12 TestActive B12 (holotranscobalamin), the fraction of vitamin B12 your cells can actually use.£40.99Includes postageView test
Advanced Thyroid Check with AntibodiesA full thyroid panel: TSH, total and free T4, free T3, and two antibodies that can point to an immune reaction against the thyroid gland.£163.00Includes clinic appointmentView test
Advanced Vitamin CheckThe widest vitamin panel here: ten direct blood measurements covering vitamins A, D and E, beta carotene, and the B vitamins including red-cell folate and active B12.£587.00Includes clinic appointmentView test