It's difficult to say when we talk about accuracy it's more than just how correct is the number or the result that you get back testing is a wide end-to-end process. So if we have processes in place which are not perfect you can see how the end result no matter how good the analytical part is can be not great basically. Some of these companies are keen to point out that the labs that they use for their blood tests are fully accredited but do we know if that's the case for all of them? In the UK most NHS labs have accreditation in place governed by UCAS and it's not even mandatory you know so there are some NHS labs that struggle to get
Companies selling private blood tests offer customers a way to check their health – from measuring cholesterol levels to thyroid hormones – from the comfort of their home. But what happens if there’s an abnormal result? Madeleine Finlay speaks to health journalist Emma Wilkinson and consultant chemical pathologist Dr Bernie Croal about how these tests work, how to interpret your results and whether an already overstretched NHS is being left to deal with the worried well. Help support our independent journalism at
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