The Bone Screen looks at the minerals and proteins involved in bone health, combining a 24-hour urine collection for calcium and phosphate with blood tests for alkaline phosphatase, total protein, albumin, globulin and blood calcium. It suits people investigating bone pain, monitoring a known bone or parathyroid condition, or checking bone health as part of a wider health review. The profile costs £73.75 plus a £50 blood-draw fee, with results in 1 day. Walk in or book online at 117a Harley Street, seven days a week.
A doctor may order a bone screen for someone with persistent bone or joint pain, unexplained fractures, or a family history of bone conditions, to see whether the underlying chemistry points to a cause.
It is also used to monitor people with a known parathyroid, kidney or bone condition, or those on long-term steroid treatment, where bone mineral handling needs periodic checking.
Some people request it alongside a wider health check, particularly after the menopause or in later life, when bone health becomes a more common concern.
Most people do not need to fast for the blood component of this profile. The 24-hour urine collection needs to be carried out exactly as instructed by the clinic, with every sample kept over the full 24 hours, so follow the collection instructions given to you when you book. If your doctor has given you different guidance, follow that instead.
Calcium, phosphate and alkaline phosphatase results outside the expected range can point to a range of causes, from how active your bones are to how your kidneys or parathyroid glands are working. None of these findings are diagnostic on their own.
Because albumin affects how calcium is measured, your doctor will look at protein and calcium results together rather than calcium in isolation.
If any of these results fall outside the laboratory's reference range, or you have ongoing bone pain, arrange a doctor's appointment to discuss what further assessment, such as imaging, might be useful.
If you want these markers alongside a doctor's examination and a wider health assessment, compare the Full Body MOT health check.
Written by Mr Stephen Lingam. Reviewed by Dr Mohammad Bakhtiar (GMC 4694470) on 24/09/2026.
It combines blood tests for calcium, alkaline phosphatase and protein levels with a 24-hour urine collection for calcium and phosphate, giving a picture of how your body is handling the minerals involved in bone health.
Yes, this profile includes a 24-hour urine collection for calcium and phosphate alongside the blood sample, so you will need to follow the collection instructions provided by the clinic.
Results are typically available within 1 day of your samples being received at 117a Harley Street.
No, this blood and urine profile does not diagnose osteoporosis on its own. A doctor would usually combine it with a bone density scan and your clinical history.