Essential All Systems Blood Test

Suffering from stomach pain and discomfort? Liver playing up? Dark coloured urine? Tired all the time? Fatigue or loss of appetite? The Essential All Systems check is for you.

ESSENTIAL ALL SYSTEMS BLOOD TEST

This panel has been developed by our Medical Director, Dr. Adam Staten and covers the following:

Full Blood Count

The full blood count tells us a great deal of information. It will help us to exclude anaemia, will give an indication of your iron, vitamin B12 and folate levels, and will also tell us a lot about the health of your immune system.

Abnormalities in the full blood count can tell us about abdominal diseases such as coeliac disease or pernicious anaemia that prevent you absorbing nutrients, and will also indicate if you may be losing blood into your gut from conditions such as gastritis, gastric ulcers, or sinister conditions such as bowel cancer.

Kidney function

Your kidneys perform many functions including removing waste products from the blood, regulating levels of electrolytes in the blood, and regulating blood pressure. Kidney function tests are amongst the most commonly performed tests by doctors because, not only do they indicate your state of health, but the health of your kidneys will guide decisions on which medications may or may not be right for you.

Kidney disease can cause abdominal symptoms such as loss of appetite of nausea.

Liver function

The liver is a highly active and complex organ. It is involved in digestion, processing waste products, processing medication, the immune response and is also part of the hormonal system. The liver can be damaged by an unhealthy lifestyle, alcohol, toxins and a variety of different illnesses.

We assess the health of the liver by measuring a range of different enzymes that it produces. The level of these enzymes indicates the health of the liver, and can be interpreted to give a clue as to what might be the underlying problem. Liver function tests can also help us work out if there is a problem with your gallbladder.

Liver and gallbladder problems can cause abdominal pain (particularly on the right hand side), abdominal swelling, nausea and vomiting, itching, dark urine and pale stools.

C-Reactive protein

CRP is a marker of inflammation that will rise from any cause of inflammation in the body. When assessing abdominal symptoms, we use CRP to exclude infection and also to exclude a group of diseases known as Inflammatory Bowel Disease which can cause abdominal pain, blood in your motions, and diarrhoea.

These conditions are ‘autoimmune’ diseases that occur when the immune system mistakenly attacks part of the body.

Electrolytes study

Electrolytes are the salts and minerals that are dissolved in your blood stream. They are vital for conducting nerve impulses, causing muscle contractions, and for regulating the acid-base balance of your blood.

It is hard to overstate the importance of electrolytes but oddly, because they are such a fundamental building block of our biology, they are easily forgotten. Sodium, potassium, and calcium are all vitally important for allowing nerve impulses to be conducted, muscles to contract, and the heart rhythm to be maintained.

Immunoglobulins study

Immunoglobulins are antibodies which are proteins in your blood that help to fight against infection. There are a number of different categories of immunoglobulins and we test for three particular categories – IgA, IgG, and IgM. Each type of immunoglobulin performs a slightly different role. 

IgA antibodies are found in blood, saliva, respiratory secretions, and the fluid in your stomach. They are important in defending the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts against infection. IgG antibodies are the most common immunoglobulin in blood and help fight against viral and bacterial infections. They also form part of the immune system’s ‘memory’ and are very important in the body’s response to infections that it has encountered before. IgM antibodies are produced as part of the body’s initial response to infection, so levels of IgM rise at the start of an infection.

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 ESSENTIAL ALL SYSTEMS BLOOD TEST RIGHT FOR ME?

This test is useful for those who suffer with frequent and unexplained general symptoms and as an annual precaution check. This checks most of the body systems in one go and gives a huge insight into what is going on with your body.

WHY HAVE THE ESSENTIAL ALL SYSTEMS BLOOD TEST?

You want to check that your immune system is healthy

You are worried about liver disease

You are worried about kidney disease

You want to check your electrolyte levels

SYMPTOMS AND TAGS

Abdominal discomfort, Abdominal pain, Abdominal swelling, Aches, Blood in stool, Blood in urine, Bronchitis, Cardiovascular risk worry, Chest pains, Chronic fatigue, Confusion, Convulsions or seizures, Dark urine, Diarrhoea, Dr. Adam Staten Test Panel, Ear infections, Easy bruising, Erectile disfunction, Fainting, Fast beating heart, Fatigue, Feeling sick, Fever, Frequent infections, Gastrointestinal infections, Hair loss, Headache, Heart attack, High blood pressure, Immune system, Increased hunger, Inflammation, Insomnia/lack of sleep, Irregular heartbeat, Irritability, Itchy skin, Joint pain, Joint swelling, Lightheaded, Liver pain, Loss of appetite, Men, Muscle cramps, Muscle pain, Nausea, Need to wee often, Pale stool, Pneumonia, Poor appetite, Shortness of breath, Sinus and respiratory infections, Stomach cramps, Swollen ankles, Swollen feet, Swollen hands, Thirsty all the time, Throat infections, Tingling, Tiredness, Vomiting, Weak or brittle fingernails, Weakness, Weight loss, Women, 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.

Take this test after any symptoms of a short term illness have settled.

If you take biotin supplements, stop taking these for 72 hours before the test.

Ideally you need to be eating a diet containing gluten for 6 weeks prior to this test.

We recommend a walk-in venous sample for this test.

Clinic appointment - how to prepare for the Essential All Systems 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 Essential All Systems 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!

1. 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)

2. EXCLUSIONS *

Markers with *symbol are not reported in Capillary/Home kit samples.

Platelets (PLT) - may not be reported in capillary samples if clots are present.

Potassium is not reported in capillary samples. We always recommend a venous clinic sample for this test.

3. KIDNEY FUNCTION

- Sodium
- Total protein
- Creatinine
- eGFR (CKD-EPI 2009 formula)
- Urea

4. LIVER FUNCTION

- Globulin calculation
- Albumin
- Total protein
- Bilirubin
- Alanine AminoTransferase (ALT)
- Gamma-GlutamylTransferase (GGT)
- Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP)
- Aspartate AminoTransferase (AST)

5. ELECTROLYTES

- Sodium
- Calcium
- Corrected calcium
- Potassium (Venous only, not available in finger prick kits.)
- Chloride

6. INFLAMMATION

- C-Reactive Protein

7. IMMUNOGLOBULINS

- IgG
- IgM
- IgA

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 exclusion for this panel. We always recommend an in Clinique appointment when the time permits.

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

It is a great test to see what your current state of health is, to help you work out what you need to do to improve things, and to let you know what impact positive lifestyle changes have already made.

By finding that your full blood count, immune function, liver and kidneys are healthy, you can be reassured that you are in a generally good state of health. This is the purpose of the Essential All Systems Blood test which allows you to ensure that you are healthy or, if a problem is identified, take steps to rectify this.

We check the Full Blood Count which looks for conditions like anaemia and also for abnormalities in the white blood cells that are part of the immune system. We check the ‘inflammatory marker’ CRP which, if raised, indicates infection or inflammation within the body. We test for kidney function and liver function in order to exclude conditions like chronic kidney or liver disease. We also test for the electrolytes sodium, potassium, chloride and calcium, that delicate balance of which is so important for the proper functioning of the nerves, muscles and heart.

Lastly, we check for your levels of the immunoglobulins IgG, IgA and IgM which are proteins in the blood that are involved in the defence against infection. Raised levels may indicate infection or other kinds of inflammation, low levels may indicate a deficiency in the immune system.

Red flag symptoms for the Essential All Systems Blood Test

Even if all the blood tests are normal, you should still see your doctor if you have any of the symptoms below.

• Progressive weakness or lethargy.
• Confusion.
• Severe muscle cramps.
• Unexplained weight loss, fevers or night sweats.
• Unexplained abdominal swelling.
• Yellowing of the skin or eyes

What are the symptoms of electrolyte imbalances?

This depends on the electrolyte that is either high or low. In many cases, if the imbalance is mild, there will be no symptoms. Major electrolyte imbalances can cause lethargy, muscle cramps, nausea, weakness, and eventually, severe problems such as seizures and cardiac arrest.

What does it mean if my eGFR is low?

A low eGFR can occur for lots of reasons. eGFR can fall in the short term due to acute illnesses, particularly illnesses that result in dehydration such as diarrhoea and vomiting, or sometimes as a result of using some medications (for example the antibiotic trimethoprim can cause a falsely low eGFR).

A persistently low eGFR may represent a gradual decline in kidney function as part of ageing or may represent an underlying kidney disease. So, a low eGFR is normally repeated and, if it remains low, further investigations are usually started.

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.

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.