Advanced Liver Function Blood Test

A comprehensive liver blood test that will check that your liver is healthy and that there are no signs of damage to the liver. This test includes the Full Blood Count and we recommend that this test is done at one of our walk-in clinics, rather than via a home finger prick test.

The liver is a vital organ with over 500 important functions including regulating chemical levels in the blood, filtering out toxins, storing nutrients and glucose for energy and releasing them back into the blood when needed.

Our Advanced Liver Function Blood Test looks at liver enzymes such as gamma GT and alanine transferase (ALT) to indicate how well the liver is functioning and whether it is inflamed or damaged. The main causes of liver disease are excessive alcohol, drug (including prescribed and over-the-counter medications) or calorie consumption and viruses such as hepatitis. In its early stages, liver damage can be reversed which is why it is important to identify signs of liver damage early.

It is possible for liver enzymes to appear normal when the liver is in fact inflamed, that’s why it is important to protect your liver by maintaining a healthy lifestyle and avoiding excess alcohol consumption.

If you’re not sure exactly what you need, we advise all our clients to consult with a GP or one of our Registered Nutritionists before taking any blood tests. However, below you can find more information about this panel, and we hope it will help.

IS THE ADVANCED LIVER FUNCTION BLOOD TEST RIGHT FOR ME?

Our modern lifestyles of too much food, too much alcohol, and too little exercise can be very harmful to the liver. Fatty liver disease in particular is very common. This blood test can help you detect early signs of liver damage which will allow you to make the changes that will let the liver recover.

WHY HAVE THE ADVANCED LIVER FUNCTION BLOOD TEST?

If you are concerned your lifestyle may be damaging to your liver

If you have a family history of liver disease

If you want to monitor improvement in your liver function following positive changes to your lifestyle

SYMPTOMS AND TAGS

Abdominal discomfort, Abdominal pain, Abdominal swelling, Chronic fatigue, Dark urine, Easy bruising, Itchy skin, Liver pain, Loss of appetite, Nausea, Pale stool, Vomiting, Yellow eyes and Yellowing skin

1. Fill out the contact form on the main page
2. Choose your preferred panel
3. Select between a Home Kit (via post), a Clinic Appointment, or VIP service
4. Make the payment online.
5. We'll contact you to arrange a clinic appointment or a VIP service and email you with your home kit delivery details.

Not sure which panel or test is right for you? Reach out to one of our Registered Nutritionists  

COLLECTION OPTIONS

1. VIP: Home/Office/Hotel visit by our phlebotomist – Available in London UK only (1-3 days)
2. Clinic visit (24+ UK locations, 1-3 days)
3. At-home kit (3-6 days)

VIP Phlebotomist Visit (London Only):

Perfect for busy individuals or corporate teams.

• Available across London.
• Once payment is received, our team will contact you to arrange your appointment — usually the same day if booked before 10 am, or the next day if later.
• Additional patients beyond 10 are charged £25 each, invoiced after the visit.
• Please select the total number of blood tests at checkout so our phlebotomist can bring the right equipment.
• Your blood will be collected by a trained phlebotomist and delivered directly to our lab for fast, accurate results.

In-Clinic Appointment:

Quick, professional, and convenient.

• Same or next working day appointment.
• We’ll contact you within 60 minutes of booking to arrange your visit.
• Your blood will be collected by a trained phlebotomist and sent directly to our lab for fast, accurate results.
• Choose your nearest clinic and skip the wait. (Check Locations)

Home Kit:

Test from the comfort of your home — anywhere in mainland UK.

• Everything you need to collect your sample in about 15 minutes.
• Return it to our lab via Prepaid Royal Mail  Tracked 24.
• Free replacement kit if anything goes wrong or more blood is needed — so you can order with confidence.

Try to be well hydrated for this test and come in for a venous sample, if possible.

Clinic appointment - how to prepare for the Advanced Liver Function Blood Test

If you are coming into one of our clinics for the test, this is what you need to do before you arrive:

• Read the instructions in the SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS section
• Drink plenty of water about an hour before the appointment.
• Avoid coffee/tea/energy drinks. Water is good!
• That’s it! We’ll do the rest.

Home test kit - how it works with the Advanced Liver Function Blood Test

Our blood test kits are simple and convenient.

The most important step in doing a blood test at home is to read the instructions very carefully. The process is very simple, but there are a few pitfalls you need to be aware of - you will save yourself a lot of time if you do it right the first time around!

• Full printed instructions will arrive with your kit - please read them carefully.
• Drink plenty before taking the sample and warm your hands up in the sink with warm water for a few minutes. This will make your blood flow much better.
• Fill the tubes to the top line. We don’t need much blood; filling tubes to the top line is about 15 drops of blood.
• Post the samples on the same day you take them, before midday, Monday to Thursday. If you post it any other time it might get to us late or be stuck at a sorting office over the weekend. You will then have to do it again.
• Package the sample in the same box the kit came in. Otherwise, Royal Mail or DPD will reject it. The sample tubes go into a pouch, then into a cardboard box, and then into a return envelope. All of this is provided in the kit: please use it.

We look forward to receiving your sample in our lab!

FULL BLOOD COUNT

- White Blood Cell Count (WBC)
- Red Blood Cell Count (RBC)
- Haemoglobin (HGB)
- Hematocrit (HCT)
- Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV)
- Mean Corpuscular Haemoglobin (MCH)
- Mean Corpuscular Haemoglobin Concentration (MCHC)
- Red Cell Distribution Width (RDW)
- Platelets* (PLT)
- Mean Platelet Volume* (MPV)
- Lymphocytes* (LYM)
- Monocytes* (MON)
- Neutrophils* (NEU)
- Eosinophils* (EOS)
- Basophils* (BAS)

1. LIVER FUNCTION

- Albumin
- Total protein
- Globulin calculation
- Bilirubin
- ALT
- ALP
- GGT
- AST

We always encourage you to visit one of our Clinique for any of our blood tests.

HOME KIT VIA ROYAL MAIL TRACKED 24

This service costs additional £19.00 and includes:

Available everywhere in mainland UK.

Includes everything you need to take a safe and suitable blood sample in about 15 minutes.

Post the sample back to our laboratory via Royal Mail Tracked 24.

CLINIC APPOINTMENT - SAME OR NEXT WORKING DAY

This service costs additional £38.00 and includes:

• No waiting. We will call you within 2 hours to book your appointment for the same day when purchased before 10am or following day if later than 10am.
• Quick blood collection from your vein, by our professional phlebotomist.
• Blood transported directly to our laboratory - for quick and accurate results.

No home kit is available for this panel.

Less common Full Blood Count Markers (marked with *symbol) are not reported in Capillary/Home kit samples due to their instability. If you are undergoing a particular FBC investigation and need these specific markers for your GP, we advise you to come to one of our clinics for a venous sample. We routinely report these markers in venous samples.

Platelets Count (PLT) in home kits is usually reported, providing the blood has no clots.

We are extremely fast, with some results available within hours and others within a working day or less, from the time your sample is in our lab. However, this is not a guarantee and should not be taken as such. This is the guideline turnaround time that can be shorter or longer.

THIS IS NOT A GUARANTEED TURNAROUND TIME.

We are extremely proud of our very short turnaround times and very efficient laboratory processes; you will receive your results as soon as they are available and have completed clinical validation.

Whilst we accommodate the shortest time scales, with some results available within hours, for some tests the turnaround time is 1-3 working days.

DR. ADAM STATEN - GP VIEW AND RED FLAG SYMPTOMS

The liver is a very active organ. It is involved in digestion, the removal of waste products, and the processing of medications and toxins, as well as being part of the immune system and hormonal system. It is a very resilient organ and will continue to function even if quite significantly damaged and therefore symptoms of liver disease often don’t appear until the disease is quite well advanced. 

The liver can be damaged by lots of different things including alcohol, illness, drugs and medication but possibly the most common threat to our livers is ‘fatty liver disease’ caused by an unhealthy lifestyle. This test measures a number of different liver enzymes, the levels of protein produced by the liver, and bilirubin which is a waste product produced by the liver. Taken together, these tests give an accurate impression of how well your liver is functioning and will look for early signs of liver damage. Caught early, liver disease can often be reversed.

We can use the results of this test to perform a calculation known as the Fib-4 calculation. If you have abnormal liver tests, this calculation will give us more information as to whether the liver has any scarring or permanent damage.

Red flag symptoms for the Advanced Liver Function Blood Test

Even if the blood test is normal, you should still see your doctor if you have any of the symptoms below. 

• Unexplained weight loss
• Unexplained abdominal swelling
• Yellowing of the skin or eyes

What causes damage to the liver?

The liver can be damaged by many things. It may be damaged by infectious illnesses such as hepatitis or by illness caused by genetic factors or autoimmune conditions. It can also be damaged by alcohol, other toxins, and some medications. For this reason, you need to have your liver function tested regularly when you are on certain medications. 

One very common cause of liver disease is ‘fatty liver disease’ which is when fat builds up in the liver. The cause of excess fat in the liver is usually the same as excess fat elsewhere in the body - an unhealthy lifestyle.  

Is liver damage permanent?

The liver has excellent powers of regeneration and liver disease can often be halted and reversed, particularly in the early stages. The key is removing the cause of the damage which in many cases is alcohol or excess calorie intake. Liver damage can however progress to scarring which is known as cirrhosis. Cirrhosis is irreversible and can eventually lead to death. 

Can I see a GP to discuss my Results?

Yes, usually the same or next day.

Our fantastic partner clinical team of consultants and GPs. Once you have your results, you can book an online video consultation to discuss your results.

Our clinical team consists of practicing NHS and private GPs, who work closely with our laboratory and can tell you what your blood test results mean for you. Having an integrated laboratory and GP services makes your health journey seamless and extremely efficient.

This service is not included in the price of the test, it is charged separately, should you wish to book it.

Will I have a general explanation of my results?

Yes, our doctors put a huge amount of effort into your online Health Dashboard, which will have explanations of what each biomarker is, the normal reference ranges and what it means if you are outside of them.

QUICK AND ACCURATE RESULTS DIRECT FROM THE LABORATORY.

We partner with regulated laboratories and accredited clinics that manufacture their own approved home sample collection kits. Your results are looked after by our fantastic clinical governance team and a super-talented biomedical science team.

When you book your test with us - you book directly with the lab. This means accuracy and responsible duty of care, direct access to the provider and extremely fast turnaround times.