Essential Health Screen

A nine-marker blood test covering cholesterol, diabetes risk, thyroid function and vitamin D, giving a broad but lower-cost general health snapshot.

  • At-home test
  • Doctor reviewed
Sample
Blood
Collection
At-home finger-prick
Results in
1–2 days
Biomarkers
9
Doctor reviewed
Yes
Tests for
  • Cholesterol
  • HDL
  • Triglycerides
  • HbA1c
  • FT3
  • FT4
  • TSH
  • Non HDL
  • Vitamin D

Test specifications

Sample type
blood
Collection method
at-home finger-prick
Turnaround time
1–2 days
Biomarkers tested
9
At-home test
Yes
Doctor reviewed
Yes
Gender focus
Both

What's tested

9 biomarkers as listed by Monitor My Health.

Advanced Lipid Profile (with Apolipoproteins)

  • Cholesterol

Cholesterol (lipid profile)

  • HDL

Cholesterol status

  • Triglycerides

Diabetes

  • HbA1c

Thyroid

  • FT3
  • FT4

Thyroid hormones

  • TSH

Total Cholesterol

  • Non HDL

Vitamins

  • Vitamin D

About this test

This screen covers four areas in one blood sample: diabetes risk (HbA1c), vitamin D, a cholesterol profile (total cholesterol, HDL, non-HDL and triglycerides) and thyroid function (TSH, FT4, FT3).

Within our 32-test general health screen comparison group, it is the cheapest option, at £49 against a group median of £113, but it also tests fewer markers than most: nine, against a group median of 18. Peers such as YorkTest's Essential Health Check (£55, 18 markers) or Blue Horizon Medicals' Fingerprick Wellman and Wellwoman (£82.25 each, 20 markers) cover substantially more ground for a higher price.

The scores reflect this shape: very strong on value for money, solid on clarity, collection convenience and results and follow-up, but held back on clinical depth by having roughly half the markers of a typical screen in this comparison group.

Who is it for?

This suits anyone who wants a low-cost first look across diabetes risk, cholesterol, thyroid and vitamin D without paying for a full 18 to 20 plus marker screen. If you want more depth from the same provider, Monitor My Health's own Full Health Screen (£65, 14 markers) adds anaemia and B12 or folate checks, and the Full Health Screen plus TPO (£72, 15 markers) adds thyroid antibodies on top of that.

How it works

You take a finger-prick blood sample at home and post it Monday to Thursday. The lab runs all four panels from the same sample, and results are typically available within 1 to 2 days, reviewed by a doctor with guidance on any next steps.

Pros & cons

Pros

  • Covers four separate health areas (diabetes risk, vitamin D, cholesterol and thyroid) in one order.
  • Cheapest of the 32 tests in our general health screen comparison group.
  • Results reviewed by a doctor as standard.
  • Turnaround of 1 to 2 days.

Cons

  • Nine markers, roughly half the 18-marker median for this comparison group.
  • Does not include anaemia or B12 or folate markers, unlike the provider's own Full Health Screen.
  • Monitor My Health does not state what the results report looks like before purchase.

Our editorial score

Compare Health Test Score Lowest-priced general screen, fewer markers
Editorial confidence: 10.0/10

At £49, this is the cheapest of the 32 tests in our general health screen comparison group, where the median price is £113. It tests nine markers, about half the group's median of 18, so the saving comes with less depth than most full screens.

Score breakdown

  • Clarity and documentation 9.0/10

    The listing publishes a detailed description, the full biomarker list, a stated turnaround, clear collection options, the sample type; it does not state what the report looks like.

  • Clinical depth 6.3/10

    9 biomarkers against a median of 18 across the 32 tests in its comparison group.

  • Collection convenience 7.0/10

    A finger-prick sample you take at home; results in around 2 days, in line with or faster than similar tests.

  • Results and follow-up 7.0/10

    Results are reviewed by a doctor; the provider does not describe the report format.

  • Trust signals 10.0/10

    Trustpilot 4.8 from 3,987 reviews; accredited lab (UKAS ISO 15189 NHS lab (Exeter Clinical Laboratory)); CQC registered; doctor review as standard.

  • Value for money 10.0/10

    £49.00 against a comparison-group median of £113.00 (-57%).

Calculated 13 September 2026 from the facts we hold about this test and provider, using our published scoring formula. Scores are not hand-edited.

Compare with similar tests

This test belongs to our Essential health check (up to 25 markers) comparison group. See how it stacks up against equivalent tests from other providers.

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