Diabetes Test
A private diabetes blood test that checks your blood sugar control. The HbA1c test shows your average blood glucose over the past two to three months, the standard way to screen for and monitor pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes. Every result is reviewed by a GMC-registered doctor, with a secure password-protected outcome sent to your email.
By Dr Maryam Attarzadeh, GMC-registered doctor and Medical Director, KONCEPT® Medical Clinic. Last reviewed May 2026. Next review November 2026.
A diabetes blood test is worth booking if you want to screen for type 2 diabetes, keep an eye on pre-diabetes, or monitor blood sugar you already manage. It is also a sensible step if you have risk factors such as a family history of diabetes, raised blood pressure, a higher waist measurement, or you are simply due a check. The test does the measuring. A GMC-registered doctor does the interpreting, so you are not left to decode a number on your own.
If you have clear symptoms of high blood sugar, this page explains what to do further down. For a wider metabolic picture, the diabetes markers also sit inside our Full Blood Test and Health Check, which many patients use for an annual review.
Measures glycated haemoglobin, which reflects your average blood glucose over the past two to three months. Because it does not change with a single meal, HbA1c is the standard test for screening and for monitoring diabetes and pre-diabetes. No fasting needed, so it can be booked any time of day. This is the test most people choose.
A direct measure of the glucose in your blood at the time of the sample. Useful as a quick check or alongside symptoms. The request form records whether the sample was taken fasting, which the doctor needs in order to interpret it correctly. This is the entry-level diabetes test.
Combines glucose and HbA1c in one test, so you get both the snapshot and the longer-term average together. A good choice if you want the fuller picture in a single appointment.
Need more than blood sugar? Where a doctor advises it, fasting insulin, an oral glucose tolerance test, or a broader cardio-metabolic panel can be arranged at a consultation. Each test fee above includes the venous draw, processing by an accredited UK pathology laboratory, doctor review and a secure outcome note. One £39 administration fee covers your whole visit, however many tests you book. It is charged once per visit, never per test, so combining several tests in one appointment keeps the admin fee to a single charge.
HbA1c is reported in mmol/mol. Using the thresholds set out by NICE and Diabetes UK, the broad bands are below. They are a guide, not a verdict. Your individual result is read by a GMC-registered doctor against your symptoms, history and other risk factors, and a diagnosis is never made on a single number alone.
Below 6.0 percent. Blood sugar control is in the expected range. If you tested for reassurance, no action is usually needed beyond the interval your doctor suggests.
6.0 to 6.4 percent. An increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. This is the range where lifestyle support and regular monitoring make the most difference, and where a doctor will talk you through the next step.
6.5 percent or above. In a person without symptoms, NICE guidance is that a single raised HbA1c is confirmed with a second test before diabetes is diagnosed. The reviewing doctor will explain whether a repeat test, a GP review or onward care is right for you.
A GMC-registered doctor reviews each request for clinical suitability before your appointment, then reviews the result afterwards. You receive a short outcome note, either no action needed or a GP review recommended.
Your sample is taken in a CQC-registered Kingston clinic by an experienced practitioner and processed by an accredited UK pathology laboratory, the same standards used by the NHS.
Most results are back in 2 to 5 working days, sent by secure password-protected email. Longer-running tests are flagged when you book.
No GP referral needed. Book online, in person, or as an add-on during a GP consultation. Same-day, Saturday and out-of-hours appointments are available subject to availability, opposite Kingston Station.
If your result needs attention you choose how to act on it: your NHS GP at no NHS cost, or a KONCEPT® GP consultation at £149 to talk it through and plan.
With your written consent we share a clinical summary with your NHS GP, so the result is added to your NHS record and your ongoing care stays coordinated.
Online, in person, or added during a GP consultation. Each request is reviewed by a GMC-registered doctor for clinical appropriateness.
An experienced practitioner takes your sample in-clinic, usually 15 to 30 minutes. No fasting for HbA1c. If a fasting glucose test is chosen, you will be told in advance.
Your sample is processed by an accredited UK pathology laboratory to the same standards as the NHS.
Most results within 2 to 5 working days, with a short outcome note and next-step plan sent securely to your email.
Type 2 diabetes often develops quietly, so many people test because of risk factors rather than symptoms. Consider a diabetes blood test if any of the following apply to you.
Some symptoms need urgent medical attention rather than a booked clinic appointment. Seek urgent care, call NHS 111, or go to A&E straight away if you have very high thirst with drowsiness or confusion, rapid breathing, breath that smells fruity, vomiting, or sudden unexplained weight loss with feeling very unwell. These can be signs of dangerously high blood sugar.
A finger-prick home kit can measure HbA1c, so the question is not really the number, it is what surrounds it. With a diabetes result, interpretation matters: thresholds, whether a repeat test is needed, and what to do next. Here is the side-by-side.
| Online home-kit diabetes test | KONCEPT® diabetes test | |
|---|---|---|
| Sample collection | Self-administered finger-prick at home, with the quality of the sample resting on you. | Venous draw in-clinic by an experienced practitioner, with fasting status recorded on the request form. |
| Who reviews the result | An algorithm-generated PDF comparing your number to a reference range. Doctor commentary is usually a paid extra. | A GMC-registered doctor reviews your result against your symptoms and risk factors. Included in the test price. |
| Confirming a diagnosis | A raised result is reported, but arranging the repeat test that NICE recommends in people without symptoms is left to you. | If a repeat or confirmatory test is needed, the doctor says so in your outcome note and helps you arrange it. |
| Outcome note | "Your HbA1c is X. Compare with the ranges." You then decide what to do. | A clear outcome: no action needed, or a GP review recommended, with the next step spelled out. |
| Sharing with your NHS GP | Not offered. You would forward the PDF yourself. | With your written consent, a clinical summary is sent to your NHS GP so the result joins your NHS record. |
The NHS provides comprehensive diabetes care, and remains the right route for many patients, particularly anyone with symptoms or a confirmed diagnosis. KONCEPT® is designed to complement, not replace, that care, by making the same blood-sugar markers easy to access directly when you want a check on your own timing.
| Standard NHS approach | What KONCEPT® adds | |
|---|---|---|
| Booking and access | HbA1c and glucose testing are part of NHS care, usually arranged through your GP, subject to local availability. | The same markers directly, without referral. Same-day, Saturday and out-of-hours appointments subject to availability. |
| Scope of the test | HbA1c or glucose, ordered when clinically indicated alongside your wider NHS care. | The same markers on their own, or combined with cholesterol and a wider health check in one visit. |
| Time with the reviewing doctor | Appointment length varies by region, practice and clinical urgency. | A 30-minute consultation with a GMC-registered doctor is available alongside the test for anyone who wants one, with a plain-English outcome note as standard. |
| Cost | Free at the point of use within the NHS, where clinically indicated. | From £45 per test plus a single £39 administration fee per visit, charged once per visit and never per test. HbA1c £104 all-in, the combined profile £114 all-in. |
| Continuity with your NHS record | Tests ordered through NHS routes are added to your record automatically. | With your written consent, a clinical summary is shared with your NHS GP so the result is added to your NHS record. |
Source: first-line testing scope reflects NICE CKS: Type 2 diabetes. NHS provision varies by region and clinical context, and the NHS pathway remains appropriate for many patients. KONCEPT® encourages continued NHS GP involvement and shares clinical summaries with your NHS GP on request.
KONCEPT® Medical Clinic offers a doctor-reviewed diabetes blood test for patients across the KT and SW postcodes, without a GP referral. People book from Kingston upon Thames, Surbiton, New Malden, Wimbledon, Richmond upon Thames, Putney, Teddington, Hampton, Esher, Cobham, Walton-on-Thames, Thames Ditton and Twickenham. The clinic is at 46 to 48 Wood Street, opposite Kingston Station, two minutes from the Bentall Centre, with parking nearby. It is reachable by train from Waterloo in around 28 minutes, or by car off the A3.
Patients book this test to screen for type 2 diabetes, to monitor pre-diabetes, to keep track of an existing diagnosis, and as part of a wider health check. It suits anyone searching for a private HbA1c test in Kingston, a blood sugar test near me, a diabetes blood test Surrey patients can travel to, or a pre-diabetes check Richmond and Surbiton patients can reach quickly. Book online or call 020 8129 1011.
Blood sugar rarely sits on its own. Patients commonly pair the diabetes test with heart and metabolic markers, or fold it into a wider review. The doctor can suggest the most useful combination at booking.
The main test is HbA1c, which reflects your average blood glucose over the past two to three months. We also offer a simple blood glucose test (random or fasting) and a combined Diabetes and Blood Sugar Profile that measures both glucose and HbA1c. Where a doctor advises it, fasting insulin, an oral glucose tolerance test or a wider metabolic panel can be arranged. Every result is reviewed by a GMC-registered doctor, who sends a short outcome note stating either that no action is needed or that a GP review is recommended.
A blood glucose test is a snapshot of your blood sugar at the moment the sample is taken, so the reading rises and falls with food and time of day. HbA1c reflects your average blood sugar over the past two to three months and does not change with a single meal, which is why it is the standard test for screening and monitoring. For most people the HbA1c test is the more useful single test, and the combined profile gives you both numbers.
No fasting is needed for the HbA1c test, so it can be booked at any time of day. A fasting blood glucose test does require you to avoid food for several hours beforehand, and the request form records whether the sample was taken fasting or not. If fasting is needed for the test you choose, you will be told when you book.
Using the thresholds set out by NICE and Diabetes UK, an HbA1c of 48 mmol/mol (6.5 percent) or above is in the diabetes range, a result of 42 to 47 mmol/mol (6.0 to 6.4 percent) suggests pre-diabetes or an increased risk, and below 42 mmol/mol is in the normal range. These figures are a guide. Your individual result is interpreted by a GMC-registered doctor against your symptoms, history and other risk factors.
A blood test is the key step, but a diagnosis is made by a doctor, not by a number alone. If you have no symptoms, NICE guidance is that a single raised HbA1c should be confirmed with a second test before diabetes is diagnosed. If you have clear symptoms, a single result may be enough. Either way the doctor reviewing your result will explain whether a repeat test, a GP review or onward care is the right next step.
For people managing diabetes, HbA1c is commonly checked every three to six months depending on how stable things are and on the treatment plan. For pre-diabetes, a yearly check is a common pattern so any change is picked up early. Your doctor will advise the right interval for you. Ongoing monitoring can be arranged through our Full Blood Test and Health Check pathway.
Most results are returned within 2 to 5 working days. The outcome note is sent to your email, password-protected. If a particular test takes longer, you will be told when you book.
No. You can book online, in person at the clinic, or add the test during a GP consultation at KONCEPT®. A GMC-registered doctor reviews each request for clinical suitability before your appointment is confirmed.
A blood glucose test is 45 pounds, the HbA1c Diabetes Risk Test is 65 pounds, and the combined Diabetes and Blood Sugar Profile (glucose and HbA1c) is 75 pounds. A single 39 pound administration fee covers your whole visit, charged once per visit and never per test, however many tests you book. The all-in prices are therefore 84 pounds, 104 pounds and 114 pounds. If a GP review is recommended afterwards, that is a separate booking: your NHS GP at no NHS charge, or a KONCEPT® GP consultation at 149 pounds.
HbA1c and blood glucose testing are part of NHS care, and the NHS pathway remains the right route for many people, particularly anyone with symptoms or a confirmed diagnosis. KONCEPT® complements that by offering the same markers directly, without referral, with same-day, Saturday and out-of-hours appointments subject to availability, and a doctor-reviewed outcome note. With your written consent we share a clinical summary with your NHS GP so the result is added to your NHS record.
Only with your written consent. We can send a clinical summary to your NHS GP so your result is added to your NHS record and your ongoing care stays joined up.
46 to 48 Wood Street, Kingston upon Thames, KT1 1UW. KONCEPT® Medical Clinic is opposite Kingston station, with parking nearby at the Bentall Centre.
These are genuine reviews from patients who tested at KONCEPT®, drawn from Google and our verified-patient reviews. The same themes recur: a calm, professional, unhurried experience, and a fast results turnaround.
"I went in for a blood test a couple days ago which was such a smooth and pleasant experience and I received my results back the next day. A super quick turn over time which is just what I needed."
"I came here for some blood tests and travel vaccinations. Really impressed by the blood test results turnaround, came in a couple days. As a Kingston local it is great to have the clinic in easy reach."
"I came to KONCEPT medical clinic for a blood test. Everyone was really nice and welcoming, and made me feel at ease straight away. It was quick, professional and I did not feel rushed. Would definitely recommend."
"I went for a blood test at KONCEPT medical clinic. It was quick, easy, and everyone was super friendly. Really smooth process."
Genuine reviews from our Google Business Profile and verified-patient reviews. Individual experiences vary. Results are typically returned within 2 to 5 working days.
From £45 per test plus a single £39 administration fee per visit, charged once per visit and never per test. Same-day, evening and Saturday appointments available. No GP referral needed. Doctor-reviewed result, sent securely to your email.
Serving Kingston upon Thames and the surrounding KT, SW and TW catchment, including Surbiton, Wimbledon, Richmond, Putney, Teddington, New Malden, Esher, Thames Ditton, Walton-on-Thames, Twickenham and Hampton.
This page is for information only and is not a substitute for medical advice. A blood test contributes to, but does not on its own make, a diagnosis of diabetes. Results require interpretation by a qualified clinician against your full clinical context.