United Kingdom friends: can you get a blood test without a doctor’s order?

Asked by JLeslie (65949

) 11 hours ago

A woman on Facebook who participates in a group I am in had an outrageously high test result for Lipoprotein a (LP(a)) and her doctor won’t retest her. She wants to repeat the test for two reasons: she has been doing some lifestyle and diet changes and she wants to see if it helped, and also some of us think possibly the number was incorrect to begin with.

In the US we can buy the test ourselves for $45 at a lab without a doctor’s order, I was hoping she could do it in the UK also. I don’t know which country in the UK she is in. I tried to google and can’t figure out if there is a way for patients to buy the tests themselves.

If not in the UK maybe a neighboring country, and if she travels she can get it done while on holiday.

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1 Answer

Hi, I’m from the UK. Its true that most blood tests are only possible if you get a referral form from your GP, but in the last couple of years it has been possible to book them directly with a clinician through a pharmacy. See link for example
If this is not possible then yes, abroad may be an option. I know a couple of people that chose to do them in places like Turkey, and Poland where its affordable. Going private in the UK is an option but much more costly.

MilkyWay (14027

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