Cholesterol Test
A private cholesterol blood test, a full lipid profile measuring your total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, non-HDL and triglycerides to assess your cardiovascular risk. High cholesterol rarely causes symptoms, so a blood test is the only reliable way to know your numbers. 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 cholesterol blood test is worth booking if you want to understand your cardiovascular risk, you have a reason to keep an eye on it, or you are simply due a check. It is a sensible step if you are over 40, have a family history of high cholesterol or early heart disease, carry other risk factors such as raised blood pressure or diabetes, or you want to see how lifestyle changes or treatment are working. The test does the measuring. A GMC-registered doctor puts the numbers in the context of your overall risk.
If you want cholesterol checked as part of a wider review, the lipid markers also sit inside our Full Blood Test and Health Check, which many patients use for an annual picture of their health.
The standard cholesterol test. Measures total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, non-HDL cholesterol and triglycerides, and reports your total cholesterol to HDL ratio. This is the test most people need and the one used to assess cardiovascular risk.
Apolipoprotein B counts the actual number of cholesterol-carrying particles that can enter the artery wall. Some clinicians consider it a more precise marker of risk than LDL on its own, particularly when the standard profile does not fully explain your risk picture.
Lp(a) is a largely inherited cardiovascular risk factor that a standard lipid profile does not reveal. It is usually checked once in a lifetime and is most useful if you have a strong family history of early heart disease or stroke.
Looking at the whole picture? For a broader cardio-metabolic assessment, the doctor can advise on a wider panel that adds blood sugar, kidney and liver markers. 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.
Cholesterol is reported in mmol/L. The figures below are common UK guideline targets for healthy adults. They are a guide, not a verdict. Your personal target depends on your overall cardiovascular risk, so a GMC-registered doctor reads your numbers against your age, blood pressure, family history and other factors rather than against a single cut-off.
The overall amount of cholesterol in your blood. Useful as a headline number, but the breakdown below tells the fuller story.
The cholesterol that can build up in artery walls, so lower is generally better. Often the main number a doctor focuses on when assessing risk.
Total cholesterol minus HDL, capturing all the non-protective fractions in one figure. Many UK guidelines now favour this as a risk marker.
The protective cholesterol that helps clear the rest. Commonly above 1.0 mmol/L in men and above 1.2 mmol/L in women.
Another blood fat linked to cardiovascular risk. A fasting sample gives the most accurate triglyceride reading.
A GMC-registered doctor reviews each request for clinical suitability before your appointment, then reviews the result afterwards and sends a short outcome note, either no action needed or a GP review recommended.
Cholesterol only makes sense in context. Your result is interpreted against your age, blood pressure, family history and other risk factors, not against a single cut-off.
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.
Beyond the standard profile, ApoB and Lipoprotein(a) are available for inherited or residual risk, with the doctor advising whether they are worthwhile for you.
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 through lifestyle and any treatment options.
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. If a fasting triglyceride reading is needed, you will be asked to avoid food for about 10 to 12 hours beforehand, with water allowed.
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.
High cholesterol does not usually make you feel unwell, so most people test because of risk factors rather than symptoms. Consider a cholesterol blood test if any of the following apply to you.
A cholesterol test is for assessing risk over time, not for an emergency. If you have chest pain or tightness, sudden breathlessness, severe dizziness or fainting, or any signs of a stroke such as face drooping, arm weakness or slurred speech, do not book a routine appointment. Call 999, or contact urgent care or NHS 111 straight away.
A finger-prick home kit can give you cholesterol numbers, so the question is what surrounds them. A lipid result only means something once it is placed against your wider cardiovascular risk, and once someone helps you decide what to do next. Here is the side-by-side.
| Online home-kit cholesterol test | KONCEPT® cholesterol test | |
|---|---|---|
| Sample collection | Self-administered finger-prick at home, with the quality of the sample resting on you, and fasting harder to control. | Venous draw in-clinic by an experienced practitioner, with fasting status recorded for an accurate triglyceride reading. |
| Who reviews the result | An algorithm-generated PDF comparing each number to a generic range. Doctor commentary is usually a paid extra. | A GMC-registered doctor reads your profile against your overall cardiovascular risk. Included in the test price. |
| Risk in context | Numbers shown against fixed cut-offs, without your blood pressure, age or family history factored in. | Your numbers interpreted alongside your wider risk factors, which is how cardiovascular risk is actually judged. |
| Advanced markers | Usually limited to the standard four-part profile. | ApoB and Lipoprotein(a) available where inherited or residual risk needs a closer look. |
| 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 cardiovascular care, and remains the right route for many patients, particularly anyone with symptoms or an existing heart condition. KONCEPT® is designed to complement, not replace, that care, by making a full lipid profile easy to access directly when you want a check on your own timing.
| Standard NHS approach | What KONCEPT® adds | |
|---|---|---|
| Booking and access | Cholesterol testing is part of NHS care, often within an NHS Health Check or when clinically indicated, subject to local availability. | The same lipid profile directly, without referral. Same-day, Saturday and out-of-hours appointments subject to availability. |
| Scope of the test | A standard lipid profile, ordered alongside your wider NHS care when indicated. | The standard profile, plus optional ApoB and Lipoprotein(a), or folded into 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 £55 per test plus a single £39 administration fee per visit. The lipid profile is £94 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: cardiovascular risk and lipid testing reflect NICE CKS: Lipid modification, CVD prevention. 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 cholesterol 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 for a cardiovascular check, to follow a family history of high cholesterol, to monitor lifestyle or treatment, and as part of a wider health review. It suits anyone searching for a private lipid profile in Kingston, a cholesterol test near me, a heart health blood test Surrey patients can travel to, or an ApoB or Lp(a) test Richmond and Surbiton patients can reach quickly. Book online or call 020 8129 1011.
Cardiovascular risk rarely rests on cholesterol alone. Patients commonly pair the lipid profile with blood sugar and other metabolic markers, or fold it into a wider review. The doctor can suggest the most useful combination at booking.
The standard cholesterol test is a lipid profile. It measures total cholesterol, LDL (the cholesterol that can build up in artery walls), HDL (the cholesterol that helps clear it), non-HDL cholesterol, and triglycerides, another blood fat linked to cardiovascular risk. The lab also reports your total cholesterol to HDL ratio. For inherited or residual risk we also offer the advanced markers ApoB and Lipoprotein(a). Every result is reviewed by a GMC-registered doctor.
LDL is often called the harmful cholesterol because it can build up in the walls of your arteries over time, so a lower LDL is generally better. HDL is often called the protective cholesterol because it helps carry cholesterol away, so a higher HDL is generally better. The lipid profile reports both, along with non-HDL cholesterol, which captures all the non-protective fractions in a single number that many guidelines now favour.
Not always. A non-fasting sample is acceptable for an initial cardiovascular risk check. If an accurate triglyceride reading and a calculated LDL are needed, a fasting sample is preferred, which means no food for about 10 to 12 hours beforehand, with water allowed. You will be told which applies when you book, and the request form records whether the sample was fasting.
As a general UK guide, total cholesterol of 5 mmol/L or below, LDL of 3 mmol/L or below, non-HDL of 4 mmol/L or below, and fasting triglycerides of 1.7 mmol/L or below are commonly used targets, with a higher HDL being better. These are a guide only. Your personal target depends on your overall cardiovascular risk, so a GMC-registered doctor interprets your numbers against your age, blood pressure, family history and other factors rather than against a single cut-off.
ApoB counts the actual number of cholesterol-carrying particles that can enter the artery wall, which some clinicians consider a more precise risk marker than LDL alone. Lipoprotein(a), or Lp(a), is a largely inherited risk factor that a standard lipid profile does not show, and it is usually checked once in a lifetime. They are optional add-ons most useful if you have a strong family history of early heart disease or your standard profile does not fully explain your risk. The doctor can advise whether they are worthwhile for you.
Yes. High cholesterol usually causes no symptoms at all, which is exactly why a blood test is the only reliable way to know your levels. Many people first discover raised cholesterol through a routine check rather than because they feel unwell.
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.
The Cholesterol and Lipid Profile is 55 pounds, the ApoB marker is 75 pounds, and the Lipoprotein(a) marker is 89 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 94 pounds, 114 pounds and 128 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.
Cholesterol testing is part of NHS care, often within an NHS Health Check or when clinically indicated, and the NHS pathway remains the right route for many people. KONCEPT® complements that by offering the same lipid profile 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 £55 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 cholesterol blood test assesses cardiovascular risk and is interpreted by a qualified clinician alongside your full clinical context. It does not on its own diagnose heart disease.