Clinic appointment
Full Blood Count
A full blood count plus ESR: your red cells, white cells and platelets, and a general marker of inflammation.
- Doctor-reviewed results
- Laboratory analysis
- 1 to 2 working days from lab receipt
- No fasting required
What’s included
Included tests listed below
Full blood count
Measures how many blood cells you have. It is a common blood test, used to look for blood problems such as iron deficiency anaemia.
ESR
Erythrocyte sedimentation rate, a blood marker of inflammation often requested alongside CRP. In someone with suspected polymyalgia rheumatica, a raised level supports the diagnosis, although the condition can still be diagnosed when inflammatory markers are normal.
Overview
This test includes a full blood count, covering red cells, white cells and platelets, plus ESR, a general marker of inflammation. A clinician can use the results alongside your symptoms, medical history and other investigations. It does not identify every possible cause of tiredness or of feeling run down.
A general look at blood health that can pick up signs of anaemia, infection or inflammation, so a doctor can decide whether anything needs following up.
Who this is for and who it isn’t
Who it’s for
- Adults aged 18 and over
- Anyone tired or run down who wants a first blood count
- A first baseline before any other test
Who it isn’t for
- This test does not include iron stores, vitamin B12, folate, thyroid hormones or blood sugar. If you are bruising or bleeding without a clear reason, keep getting infections, or have a fever or night sweats you cannot explain, contact your GP promptly rather than booking a private test, so that they can arrange any urgent blood tests. If further tests are needed, a clinician can advise which are appropriate for your symptoms and history.
- 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
- Tiredness or feeling breathless going up stairs
- Heavy periods
- A diet low in iron-rich foods
- Looking pale, or being told you look pale
- Wanting a simple baseline before anything else
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.
- Haemoglobin▼ Low
- Result
- 108 g/L
- Range
- 120–150 / 130–170
- ESRIn range
- Result
- 8 mm/hr
- Range
- <20
| Marker | Result | Units | Range | Flag |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Haemoglobin | 108 | g/L | 120–150 / 130–170 | ▼ Low |
| ESR | 8 | mm/hr | <20 | In range |
Doctor’s note (example)
Haemoglobin is a little below the range and the red cells are on the small side, which most often points to low iron. I would check ferritin next; this is common and usually straightforward to put right.
Ranges shown as women / men. 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
- 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
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?
No. Eat and drink as normal.
What does ESR add?
It is a general, non-specific marker that rises with inflammation anywhere in the body. It does not say where or why, which is why a doctor reads it alongside the rest of the count and your symptoms.
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