What an online health check involves

Most of a general health check can happen without setting foot in a clinic. The picture a lot of people carry, a waiting room and a half-day off work, is not how it has to be.

It runs in three steps. First, a questionnaire you fill in online, covering your history, any symptoms, your family history and your lifestyle. It does the groundwork, so the rest of the check is built around you rather than starting from a blank page. Second, your bloods, arranged the way that suits you: a kit posted to your home that you take yourself, or an appointment at a phlebotomy partner near you. Third, a doctor reads your results in the context of your age and history and writes you a report in everyday language, with a clear plan and the next step if one is needed.

A doctor is involved the whole way through. No appointment is not the same as no doctor. A doctor reviews your results, decides what matters, and writes the report, and if anything needs a closer look they will tell you and arrange it.

So when would you come in? When you want a physical examination, which is the heart of the deeper, in-person version of the check, or when something in your results points to an examination being the right next step. A blood pressure reading you can take at home on a simple cuff or at your blood appointment; a hands-on examination needs a visit. Either route gives you the same bloods and the same doctor-written report.

You choose how you want it done, online or in person, and you can change your mind.

Ready to start? Choose the check that fits your question and tell us a little about yourself. A doctor reviews it, arranges what you need, and explains what it means. Most of it is done online, with the clinic there if you would rather be seen.