[Closed] Blood tests ?

GP.

GP - go mine on Wednesday. OVer 40's checks only really happened until over 50's for me - 52 here

Thanks guys , but getting time off work to go to the GP isn’t possible at the moment

Numan but if I was after a blood test I'd find the time off to go to a proper doctor if I was that concerned about my health.

Not sure what you expect to get from a pin prick test.

I have annual blood tests - or at least I did before COVID as screening against heart disease and other stuff. Required 3 vials(?) full taken by practice nurse.

Not sure what you expect to get from a pin prick test.

Ripped off.

You pay for the service via your GP already.

They can be surprisingly flexible with appointment times already, if you can also be a little flexible yourself, what with your health potentially being at stake.

Usually ends up with me and the practice nurse agreeing I'm actually fairly healthy if a little overweight, and how many more units of alcohol she drinks compared to me.

MoreCashThanDash

You pay for the service via your GP already.

They can be surprisingly flexible with appointment times already, if you can also be a little flexible yourself, what with your health potentially being at stake.

Exactly this, my GP surgery are very keen to check my blood & I am thankful that they do as it was found I have way more hematocrit than I should so am now under the care of the local haematology department. I was almost at the leval of some Pro cyclists in the late 90's meaning I was very likely to have a blood clot/stroke.

Is there still a shortage of blood vials? I know when I had a blood test 8 months ago there was.

Can't you just post your overalls in and have them tested - or do you only have the one and need it for work?

He’s only after a blood test. Not a blood, urine, stool and semen test.

Not sure what you expect to get from a pin prick test.

Ripped off

If they don't find anything the test is free - that kind of thing? Well, guess what? They'll find something and then it's off to the GP anyway to get it done properly because your GP isn't going to do anything on the basis of some blood mill's results.

Have a look at this short blog post for a GP's opinion on this sort of thing

I believe the shortages have cleared up now, I go every 8 weeks (joys) and haven't heard anything lately but do remember during covid that you were only permitted a test if you were expecting treatment.

Depends on your area however in Sheffield getting a blood test at a time convenient to you is pretty easy, assuming you can get the GP referral.

With the referral you get the choice of either at the surgery or one of the two hospitals outpatient bloods depts which open early and close late and from memory do Saturdays too.

Pharmacies will do a quick blood sugar and cholesterol test for a small fee also.

However, if there's nothing wrong with you for what reason do you want a test?

Hi …Locally at the moment getting a GPs appointment is still hard , and given the fact work is busy at the moment, sounds like naively I thought by doing an at home test would take some of the unnecessary workload of the NHS …I’ve no known problems just fancied knowing what my Cholesterol Testosterone etc levels are like given I’m mid 50s now .

Thanks for your input guys

Cholesterol and iron levels can be done in a pharmacy if that helps.

As the manager of a GP practice, can I gently suggest that unless something is wrong with you or you've noticed a change, or an actual GP has suggested that he'd like you to have a blood test, can you please avoid blocking appoints as a "worried well"? (appointments are pretty scarce in the system and we're still trying to keep folks away from the practice because of that C-word that we're all supposed to be ignoring now) If you suspect something might be wrong, go and see a GP. Blood screening isn't necessarily a good or the best way of checking that.

If it's just the basic cholesterol etc. can you get the healthy heart nurse come to your work? One came to ours and did a quick check on all the over 40s who wanted, height, weight, pinprick blood sugar and cholesterol etc.
They did come round lots of companies round us before Covid. Might be worth prompting your HR department to see whether they think it's a good idea.

I thought blood had to be taken early morning and some tests require no food since the night before