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Diabetes
testing in London
An HbA1c blood test and a straight answer, including whether you are in the range before diabetes where something can still be done.
The years before it becomes diabetes are the ones that matter
Type 2 diabetes does not arrive overnight. There is a long stretch beforehand where blood sugar is higher than it should be but not yet in the diabetic range, and during that period it is often reversible. Many people spend years there without knowing.
An HbA1c blood test shows your average blood sugar over the previous two to three months. Not a snapshot affected by what you ate this morning, but the actual trend. No fasting required.
People come for this because of family history, because their weight has changed, because a previous test was borderline, or simply because they would rather know. All reasonable.
If your result is in the pre-diabetic range, that is genuinely useful information rather than bad news. It is the point at which changes make the most difference.
What happens
The test and what follows
HbA1c is £49, in addition to the £89 consultation.
The appointment
At our Nine Elms clinic.
After the result
A plan, not a label.
Who tests
Reasons people book
Family history
A parent or sibling with type 2 raises your risk substantially, and is reason to check earlier than you otherwise would.
A borderline previous result
Where someone said to keep an eye on it and nobody followed it up.
Weight change
Particularly around the middle, and particularly where it has crept up over a few years.
South Asian background
Risk is higher and often at a younger age and lower weight, which is worth factoring in.
Gestational diabetes before
It raises later risk considerably, and follow-up frequently falls through the gaps.
Constant tiredness
Non-specific, common, and worth excluding alongside thyroid and iron.
If you are very thirsty, passing urine constantly, losing weight without trying or unusually tired, see your NHS GP urgently rather than booking here. Testing is free and it needs to happen quickly.
Questions
Things people ask us
Should I come here or see my NHS GP?
If you have classic symptoms (extreme thirst, passing urine constantly, unexplained weight loss), go to your NHS GP or an urgent care service. It is free, and it needs to happen quickly. Private testing makes sense when you have no symptoms and want to know where you stand, or where you would rather not wait.
Do I need to fast?
No. HbA1c measures your average blood sugar over the previous two to three months, so it is not affected by what you ate beforehand. You can come at any time of day. The test is £49 plus the £89 consultation.
What if I am in the pre-diabetic range?
That is worth knowing rather than something to be alarmed by. It is the stage where changes make the most difference, and for a good number of people the number comes back down. The GP will go through what actually moves it, in order of impact, and when to retest so you can see whether it is working.
What happens if I am diagnosed?
Type 2 diabetes is managed long-term through NHS services, including free prescriptions and regular monitoring, so we would refer you in rather than manage it privately. What we do is get you a clear answer quickly and make sure you leave knowing the next step.
Know the number, and what moves it
No fasting needed, and the result back the next working day.