Cost of private blood tests

[CarolP]

Hi, I was diagnosed with Graves earlier this summer and because I'd never heard of it before and because there was a significant wait time to see an endo, decided to go privately till things were a bit clearer. Saw the endo who wanted blood tests. I went to my doc who charged £26.50 for T3, T4 and TSH tests. Then saw the endo again who wanted some more up to date tests for T3,T4 and TSH. As he's based at the Nuffield, he thought it might be easier to have them done there. I had them done today, went to pay and they wanted £130 - just for the test! I nearly fell off my chair. I asked them if they'd made a mistake but they were adamant it was the correct charge. The endo doesn't even charge that for a consultation!! Perhaps I'm being naive but I think it's quite a rip off. Is this a normal charge?

[Fruitandnutcase]

Think it is probably about right. Have a look in 'Private Testing' on the TUK website. I had FT3, FT4, TSH and something else - antibodies I think and I paid £108 for a home testing kit. So if you factor in that a nurse did it for you etc then that's probably about right.

Your doctor was very cheap especially as they did T3. I had never had T3 done which was why I bought the DIY test from Blue Horizon. Must have been a real shock though.

I've got Graves too but my GP did loads of tests (free) when I started feeling ill, well I'd been feeling ill fir ages but that was when I finally decided to do something about it.

There was a three month waiting time to see an endo but my GP and hospital share notes so she started me on 20mcg Carbimazole, made an endo appointment for me and told me to come back and be tested again after a month (the Carbimazole hadn't had much effect) after my first blood test I got a letter from my endo who told me to get more Carbimazole from my GP and to double my dose. I wasn't tested again until the week before I went for my endo appointment by which time I was quite hypo. make sure you get a hard copy of all your blood test results. Try and get your B12, vitaminD, folates and ferritin tested too.

[CarolP in reply to Fruitandnutcase]

Thank you for coming back to me so soon. My GP started me on 40mg of Carbimazole but it gave me vertigo so I'm down to 20 now. Don't feel brilliant but have to be positive. I'll take your advice and get the results which won't mean anything to me! Maybe I'll come back on the site for info when I get them. Thanks so much again x

[Fruitandnutcase in reply to CarolP]

I felt very bad at the beginning. My first email on here was to ask if I would ever feel normal again, the answer was 'Yes' and yes, I did feel normal again. Once I got started on levothyroxine I found I got hyper symptoms every time I needed my thyroxine increased. Again when I posted on here with my symptoms and said I thought I was becoming hyper etc some kind person said I was probably needing an increase and she was correct, I was. So if you have any worries post a question and there is bound to be someone on here who can help

[Jackie]

Hi Never have privte hospital blood tests. They use the same Lab as Blue Horizon, a lot cheaper, quote TUK 10, Also you can always ask the private Endo ( Not G.P type doc) to ask your GP to do them, and they will NHS.

I hope that helps.

Jackie

[CarolP]

Thanks for that Jackie. Good advice!