Most full body MOTs include a broad blood panel: a full blood count, kidney and liver function, cholesterol, blood sugar, thyroid and iron. What makes it an MOT is everything around the blood draw, such as a doctor's examination, an ECG and a doctor explaining your results. A full body blood test gives you the laboratory panel on its own, with a written report.
If the blood panel is all you need, you can book the Essential Full Body Blood Test at 117a Harley Street. If you also want an examination and a doctor to go through the results with you, compare doctor-led Health MOTs at Health Screening Clinic, which shares our Harley Street building.
The blood tests most MOTs include
The core panel is much the same whichever provider you choose. At Health Screening Clinic the Essential Health MOT blood panel covers these groups:
- Full blood count: red cells, white cells and platelets. It screens for anaemia, signs of infection and some blood disorders.
- Kidney function: sodium, potassium, urea, creatinine and eGFR, which show how well the kidneys are filtering.
- Liver function: ALT, AST, gamma GT, ALP, bilirubin and albumin, which can point to liver inflammation or problems with bile flow.
- Cholesterol: total, HDL and LDL cholesterol with triglycerides, part of the picture of heart and stroke risk.
- Blood sugar: glucose and HbA1c. HbA1c reflects your average blood sugar over roughly the previous two to three months.
- Thyroid: TSH and free T4, which show whether the thyroid is underactive or overactive.
- Iron, uric acid, calcium and phosphate, and ESR as a general marker of inflammation.
Our full body blood tests cover the same core areas. Essential covers the markers most people want checked once a year, and Advanced adds vitamin D, high-sensitivity CRP and further hormone and metabolic markers.
What higher MOT tiers add
Higher tiers widen the blood panel rather than repeat it. At Health Screening Clinic, the Advanced tier adds a fuller thyroid panel, reproductive hormones such as FSH, LH, testosterone and oestradiol, vitamin D and active B12. Elite and Ultimate add minerals such as magnesium, selenium and zinc, and the tumour marker CEA, with PSA for men and CA-125 for women. Ultimate also adds ferritin and iron studies and a coeliac (gluten) antibody profile.
What a blood draw leaves out
A blood test cannot measure your blood pressure, listen to your heart and lungs, record an ECG or measure body composition, and it cannot image your organs. Some results only make sense next to your history and an examination. That is why an abnormal marker is usually followed by a conversation with a doctor rather than a conclusion drawn from the number alone.
Imaging is the biggest step up. The Ultimate Health MOT includes a full-body MRI alongside the widest blood panel, for people who want imaging as part of the assessment.
Blood panel or full MOT: how to choose
- Choose a full body blood test if you feel well, want a baseline and are happy to read a laboratory report. You can add a phone or in-person doctor review of the report for £75.
- Choose a Health MOT if you want an examination, an ECG and a doctor explaining your results in person. The Essential Health MOT at Health Screening Clinic costs £495 and includes a doctor's examination, body composition analysis, an ECG and a results review with a doctor at 117a Harley Street.
- If you have a particular symptom or condition in mind, a targeted test is usually a better start than either. See blood tests by condition.
If you already have a Health MOT booked, there is no need to repeat the same blood tests beforehand.
Preparing for your test
Preparation follows the package you choose. For our full body blood tests we recommend water only for 8 to 12 hours before your appointment, unless the panel page says otherwise, because fasting improves the accuracy of glucose and triglyceride results. The Essential Health MOT does not need fasting. Take your regular medicines as normal unless a clinician has told you not to.
Ready to book? You can book the Essential Full Body Blood Test or the Advanced Full Body Blood Test online, with results by email. For the full assessment with a doctor, compare doctor-led Health MOTs.