My experience with Medichecks

[BrecklandRanger]

Just a heads up for any of you considering using Medichecks for your blood tests.

Ordered a couple of tests (totalling around £300), and their website cited a 2 day turnaround. Well, has now been 5 working days and just spoke to a medicheck rep. They mentioned that one of the tests was actually 14 days (even though it stated 2 days when ordering), and that even though the other test was 2 days, I won't be getting the result until the othe (14 day) test comes through!

Absolutely shocking for the money I paid, and I was expecting quick results that was advertised on their site.

+++ Update +++

I've spoken to someone at Medichecks, and I've now received the seperate test results. But, you will have to call them otherwise you may be waiting for quite sometime!

[jimh111]

Which test is 14 days? Reverse T3 usually takes a long time as it is very specialist and usually outsourced to overseas labs. I glanced at Medichecks (I've never used them) and they do say 14 days on some tests. If you ordered two separate tests I don't see why they would delay both if only one of them required 14 days. (there may be a legal reason? if a doctor needs to comment first they would need to check all the results? Medichecks should be able to give a reason why they can't release the second test results).

As a general note it may be wise to submit separate orders for individual tests so that delays are avoided. Just being pragmatic here. It might be wiser still to resist the temptation to carry out too much or too frequent testing. It's very tempting to assume that more testing will lead to better treatment.

These are general comments, not specific to Medichecks. I would also advise against requesting reverse T3 as it is very expensive and nobody knows how to interpret the result.

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Did you order two tests on the same order and they just sent one vial to be filled with blood?

When ordering more than one test from them you should make a separate order for each test, that way you get a separate kit for each one and an envelope for each one, so if you send them back in their individual envelopes they should, theoretically, be treated separately at the lab and the test with 2 day turnaround one may well have arrived back in time.

[BrecklandRanger in reply to SeasideSusie]

Yes, that's correct I ordered both at the same time. But, surely Medichecks should provide a warning (during the ordering phase) that your results won't come through seperately (and so you're forced to wait even longer despite one result being ready). They really need to sort this out, and let us have our results when they are ready.

Lesson learned, I suppose.

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to BrecklandRanger]

This sort of thing has cropped up a couple of times before. Someone ordered two tests and wanted to use one now and the other (different) test at a later time. Because they were both put on the one order then Medichecks combined them and sent out just one test kit with a larger vial that needed more blood than a microtainer for a fingerprick test. I think both tests had been ordered as fingerprick but Medichecks took it upon themselves to combine them and send out the larger tube which needed venous blood draw.

It is indeed lesson learned but it should be made clear somewhere that this will happen.

[jimh111 in reply to BrecklandRanger]

I agree, I haven't used them but combining two separate tests is silly and shows a lack of concern for the patient. I would fire off a formal complaint (just an e-mail) to see if they are willing to change their ways. A decent company will apologist and offer some recompense. It would be useful to find out how decent they are for future reference.

[Lora7again]

I think they are expensive because my last test cost me £90 but I don't have any alternative because my GP surgery won't do me a detailed test for my thyroid.