Home kit
Urine Test with Culture
A mid-stream urine sample tested chemically, examined under the microscope and cultured, with sensitivities on anything that grows.
- Doctor-reviewed results
- Laboratory analysis
- 1 to 2 working days from lab receipt
- No fasting required
What’s included
2 markers measured
Urine microscopy and analysis
Your urine looked at under the microscope and tested chemically, for blood, protein, signs of infection and other markers.
Urine culture and sensitivities
A urine sample is cultured in the laboratory to confirm a urinary tract infection, and any bacteria found are tested against antibiotics to see which would work. It is used particularly when infection is persistent, recurrent or complicated, or antibiotic resistance is a concern. A mixed growth can be hard to interpret and may need a repeat sample.
Overview
A dipstick suggests an infection; a culture names the bacterium and says which antibiotics it responds to. That last part is what makes this worth doing when a urine infection keeps coming back, has not settled after a course of treatment, or when symptoms are there but the dipstick was clear. The chemistry and microscopy in the same test also look for blood and protein.
This is the full laboratory urine test rather than a dipstick. The chemistry and microscopy look for blood, protein and the white cells that come with infection, and the culture grows any bacteria present and tests which antibiotics they respond to. That last part is what makes it useful when a urine infection keeps coming back or has not settled after treatment. If you have a fever, back pain or feel unwell, contact your GP or NHS 111 now rather than waiting for a result.
Who this is for and who it isn’t
Who it’s for
- Adults aged 18 and over
- Anyone whose urine infection keeps coming back
- People whose symptoms did not settle after a course of antibiotics
Who it isn’t for
- This is not the route for an infection you need treated today. A culture needs time to grow, and if you have a fever, back or side pain, shivering, confusion or feel generally unwell, that needs same-day care from your GP or NHS 111. It is also not a test for sexually transmitted infections: chlamydia, gonorrhoea and Mycoplasma genitalium need their own PCR tests, which a urine culture does not cover.
- For a first episode of burning or stinging, a pharmacist can treat a urine infection in women aged 16 to 64 who are not pregnant or breastfeeding, and other adults should contact their GP. If you see blood in your urine, ask for an urgent GP appointment or contact NHS 111. The NHS advises urgent advice from NHS 111 or a GP if you are a man, are pregnant, have diabetes, are 65 or over, or have had a urine infection more than twice in six months.
- This test can help your GP, but it does not replace their assessment.
- 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 urine infection that has come back more than once
- Symptoms that did not settle after a course of antibiotics
- Cloudy or strong-smelling urine with no clear explanation
- A home dipstick that suggested an infection and you want it checked in a laboratory
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.
- Urine microscopy and analysis▲ High
- Result
- Trace protein
- Range
- No blood, protein or cells
- Urine culture and sensitivitiesNegative
- Result
- No significant growth
- Range
- No significant growth
| Marker | Result | Units | Range | Flag |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Urine microscopy and analysis | Trace protein | n/a | No blood, protein or cells | ▲ High |
| Urine culture and sensitivities | No significant growth | n/a | No significant growth | Negative |
Doctor’s note (example)
A trace of protein is often temporary after exercise or a fever. An early-morning repeat in a few weeks tells us whether it persists.
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 urine 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 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
- Home urine 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
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
How do I collect a mid-stream sample?
Start passing urine, then move the pot into the stream once the flow has started, and finish normally, following the kit instructions.
Should I stop antibiotics first?
Never stop a prescribed course to take a test. Antibiotics in your system can stop bacteria growing in the laboratory, so the clearest sample is taken before treatment starts. Tell us where you are in the course.
What are sensitivities?
If bacteria grow, the laboratory tests them against a panel of antibiotics and reports which ones they respond to. That is the information a GP uses when a straightforward first choice has already failed.
Can I do this at home?
Yes. The kit posts to you with the pots and instructions, and it goes back in the prepaid envelope. Getting the sample to the laboratory promptly matters, and the kit includes a preservative pot for that reason.
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 uses a urine 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, 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.
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