CoVID-19 Test PAckages

Private COVID-19 Test Packages

Testing, ordering & results information

Our COVID-19 test packages cover both antigen (“do I have it now?”) and antibody (“have I had it?”) tests. We only use Public Health England approved, highly accurate, tests to confirm if you have or have had Coronavirus.

Our services include a GP consultation, as well as support and advice pre and post test. Results are provided within 24 hours of sample receipt.

Both types of test are available ‘at home’ or in person at our City of London clinic. Please note, a video consultation before visiting our clinic is required as part of both services.

COVID-19 Test Packages

COVID-19 Test Packages - Clinic Service

Any questions? Call us on 020 7236 3334

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Concert Pianist

Why include a GP consultation?

Simply put, we think it gives you the best standard of care. Although both antigen and antibody tests alone are currently available for between £70-£150, most services do not include individual advice and support from a named clinician.

There are different approved tests available from different manufacturers (e.g. Abbott and Roche) and each gives different results depending upon the time between infection and when the test is taken. Obtaining an accurate swab sample for PCR testing can be tricky. We think a doctor should be at hand to help explain the differences and advise how best to take the tests.

Having a consultation with a doctor also means that if you have any questions about the tests, pre-existing conditions, or the results and what they may mean, you can get the answers before having the test. You may not be able to access this kind of advice from some ‘online only’ test providers very easily.

Our Regulator, the CQC, also expect good medical providers to be able to demonstrate that their service is safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led. We think the only way to achieve that whilst offering tests remotely is to ensure that a responsible clinician has oversight of your test, results and the follow-up process.

If you are considering ordering any test online, we urge you to consider the level of support you can access from a clinician as part of the service before, during and after the test.

What is a PCR swab test?

There are two different tests to identify if someone has, or has had, COVID-19. The first, an antigen test, is designed to show if anyone has the virus at the moment the test is taken. The second, an antibody test, is intended to find the antibodies created during or after the body fights off the virus.

A PCR ‘swab test’ is designed to confirm whether you have the active SARS-Cov-2 virus, or not. A positive result means you had the virus at the time the test was taken. A negative result means that you did not have the virus at the time the test was taken.

A sample of mucus and cells is taken first from the back of the throat and then from a nasal passage. The test can cause a ‘gag’ reflex and can cause a little discomfort, momentarily. The sample is processed by a laboratory and a result is provided directly to our doctors, usually within 24 hours.

A positive result will automatically be notified to Public Health England and you will need to isolate for 14 days from the point symptoms first presented.

Please note, you must not attend a clinic if you have any Covid symptoms. The PCR swab test cannot tell if you have previously had the virus.

What is an IgG Antibody test?

Our immune system reacts to the coronavirus infection by producing antibodies from a few days to 2 weeks after the onset of symptoms. Specific antibodies (called “IgG”) are produced in the later stages of infection. The persistence of IgG antibodies in the body allows identification of people who have been infected by COVID-19.

The test requires a small blood sample, which can be provided in a self-collecting kit at home or provided in our clinic. The test can only be taken 14 days or more following a potential exposure or from the onset of symptoms.

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How accurate is the test?

It’s best to think of the accuracy of the test in two ways: the true positive rate (called ‘sensitivity’) and the true negative rate (called ‘specificity’).

The antibody test produced by Abbott Laboratories has a very good ‘limit of detection’, in that it can accurately identify very small amounts of the virus in the body.

The manufacturer states that the test is 97.5% sensitive, so it will accurately identify antibodies in the vast majority of people. In a population of 200 people who are tested, up to 5 people who do have antibodies may be told that they do not have them. However, Public Health England have also evaluated the test and concluded that the test is 92.71% sensitive. This means in a population of 200 people who are tested, up to 14 people who do have antibodies may be told they do not have them.

The test is 100% specific, which Public Health England also found, so the ‘true negative’ rate is very good. When compared with other diagnostic tests the results are very favourable and we have confidence not only in the test itself, but in our laboratory partner (TDL) who processes the samples.

Another test, manufactured by Roche, is also available and when evaluated by Public Health England was found to be 83.87% sensitive. However, the accuracy of the Roche test does improve as the time period between infection and testing increases. The Roche test is marginally more accurate than the Abbott test when the period between infection and testing is greater than 40 days.

How accurate is the PCR swab test?

The PCR swab test has been shown by our partner laboratory (The Doctors Laboratory) to be 98% sensitive and 100% specific. The Doctor’s Laboratory is UKAS Accredited and is the largest independent pathology provider in the UK.

Given the differing results from the tests, we do not believe that the tests should be provided without individual clinical advice, which is why our testing package includes a GP consultation.

If I have antibodies, am I immune?

Most patients who recover from coronavirus have been found to produce antibodies. However, it is not yet known if an individual with a positive result showing presence of IgG levels following being infected with SARS-CoV-2 will be protected, either fully or partially from future infection, or for how long any protective immunity may last.

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Partner, Brown Rudnick LLP

Are there any risks associated with testing?

There are very few risks associated with antibody testing, although any extended delay between obtaining a blood sample and sending it to the laboratory can result in the quality of the sample degrading. The sample should always be returned to the laboratory at the earliest opportunity.

There are concerns that being told you have antibodies may lead to a false sense of security and potentially changes in behaviour, such as becoming less concerned about social distancing. This is a reasonable concern and we urge caution in interpreting the test results as anything other than information – having antibodies does not mean you are definitely immune from infection.

There are very few risks associated with PCR swab testing, although it can cause a ‘gag’ reflex and may be momentarily uncomfortable for some patients.

How do I order the test or at home service?

You can book your consultation with a doctor and order the test at a time to suit using our online booking service. You will be able to discuss your personal circumstances, any pre-existing conditions and any questions you may have about the test, before it is ordered.

The package also includes personal follow-up with a doctor to provide your results. If you’d like to arrange a home or office visit, just select the “test at home” package.

How much do the tests cost?

The package fee for the antibody test, GP consultation beforehand and follow up results provision with a doctor is £150 and our at home testing service, which is available nationwide, is £200.

The package fee for the PCR swab test, GP consultation before and follow up results delivery with an experienced City doctor is £165 in our clinic. Our at home testing service, which is available nationwide, is £175.

How long do the results take?

The testing process for both antibody and antigen tests usually take 24 hours to complete, from the time the consultation with the doctor is completed. Please note, we need at least 48 hours notice to arrange a home visit to obtain the blood sample.

Sadly, we cannot accept responsibility for any delays in processing samples in the laboratory, or in using postal or courier services for ‘at home’ testing.

What about testing for my business?

Please feel free to contact our occupational health team on 02072363334 if you would like to enquire about COVID-19 testing for your business.

To learn more about our occupational health services for business, please visit our occupational health pages.

Other information

Our approach to testing does not take any resources away from the NHS and is directly in line with guidance from Public Health England and our regulator, the Care Quality Commission.