Private health check at Victoria Medical London

Health Checks 5 March 2026 11 min read

Why Get a Private Health Check?
What It Includes and What It Can Find

Many of the most serious conditions — hypertension, type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, atrial fibrillation — cause no symptoms until significant damage has already occurred. A comprehensive health check finds them early.

In brief: A private health check at Victoria Medical includes a comprehensive blood panel, ECG, urine analysis, blood pressure, BMI, and a full GP consultation. It is designed to detect the silent conditions that cause the most preventable harm — hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidaemia, and atrial fibrillation — before symptoms develop.

What a Private Health Check Can Find

Approximately 1 in 3 UK adults has hypertension — and approximately half are unaware of it.^[1] Type 2 diabetes affects approximately 1 in 10 UK adults, with a further 1 in 3 having prediabetes. The UKPDS study demonstrated that intensive glucose control from the time of diagnosis reduces the risk of microvascular complications by 25% and cardiovascular events by 15%.^[3] These conditions are detectable with simple blood tests — but only if you are tested.

Condition	Prevalence	How Detected
Hypertension	~1 in 3 UK adults	Blood pressure measurement — often the only way to detect it before a stroke or heart attack
Type 2 diabetes / prediabetes	~1 in 10 UK adults (many undiagnosed)	Fasting glucose and HbA1c blood tests
Dyslipidaemia	~50% of UK adults have raised cholesterol	Fasting lipid profile — LDL, HDL, triglycerides
Chronic kidney disease	~1 in 10 UK adults	eGFR and urine ACR blood/urine tests
Thyroid disease	~1 in 20 UK adults	TSH blood test
Anaemia	Common — particularly in women of reproductive age	Full blood count (FBC)
Vitamin D deficiency	~1 in 5 UK adults	25-OH Vitamin D blood test
Atrial fibrillation	~1 in 50 UK adults (many undiagnosed)	ECG — detects AF and other arrhythmias

What Is Included in a Victoria Medical Health Check?

Full blood count (FBC)

Fasting lipid profile (cholesterol)

Fasting glucose and HbA1c

Thyroid function (TSH)

Kidney function (eGFR, creatinine)

Liver function tests (LFTs)

Vitamin D (25-OH)

Iron studies and ferritin

Blood pressure measurement

12-lead ECG

BMI and waist circumference

Urine dipstick analysis

Full GP consultation and results review

Personalised health report

From Our Practice — Dr George Xynopoulos

"I have seen patients in their 40s and 50s who had never had a blood test in their adult life. When we run a comprehensive panel, we occasionally find something significant — a cholesterol level of 8, a blood pressure of 170/110, an HbA1c in the diabetic range — that has been silently accumulating risk for years. The health check does not just provide reassurance; it provides an opportunity to intervene before the first heart attack or stroke. That is its real value."

Frequently Asked Questions

How often should I have a private health check?

For most healthy adults, an annual health check is appropriate from age 40 onwards. Younger adults with risk factors (family history of heart disease, diabetes, or cancer) may benefit from earlier and more frequent screening. Your GP can advise on the appropriate frequency based on your individual risk profile.

What is the difference between an NHS health check and a private health check?

The NHS Health Check is available to adults aged 40–74 every 5 years and covers cardiovascular risk assessment. A private health check is more comprehensive — it includes a broader range of blood tests, an ECG, urine analysis, and a full GP consultation, and can be arranged at any age without a 5-year wait.

Do I need a GP referral for a private health check?

No. At Victoria Medical you can self-refer for a private health check without a GP referral. Same-day and next-day appointments are usually available.

What happens if something abnormal is found?

If an abnormal finding is identified, your GP will discuss the result with you at the end of your appointment and agree a management plan. This may include further investigations, lifestyle advice, medication, or referral to a specialist. At Victoria Medical, we can arrange specialist referral on the same day if needed.

Is a private health check worth the cost?

A 2021 systematic review in the British Journal of General Practice found that health checks were associated with significant reductions in cardiovascular risk factors and improved detection of hypertension and diabetes. The value is greatest for patients who would not otherwise access preventive healthcare — which describes many time-poor professionals.

References

[1]Mills KT, Bundy JD, Kelly TN, et al. Global Disparities of Hypertension Prevalence and Control. Circulation. 2016;134(6):441–450. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.115.018912
[2]Hippisley-Cox J, Coupland C, Brindle P. Development and validation of QRISK3 risk prediction algorithms to estimate future risk of cardiovascular disease. BMJ. 2017;357:j2099. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.j2099
[3]Holman RR, Paul SK, Bethel MA, Matthews DR, Neil HAW. 10-Year Follow-up of Intensive Glucose Control in Type 2 Diabetes. N Engl J Med. 2008;359(15):1577–1589. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa0806470
[4]Krogsboll LT, Jorgensen KJ, Gronhoj Larsen C, Gotzsche PC. General health checks in adults for reducing morbidity and mortality from disease. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2019;1:CD009009. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD009009.pub3
[5]Si S, Moss JR, Sullivan TR, Newton SS, Stocks NP. Effectiveness of general practice-based health checks: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Br J Gen Pract. 2021;71(702):e47–e54. https://doi.org/10.3399/bjgp20X714029
[6]Cooney MT, Dudina A, Whincup P, et al. Re-evaluating the Rose approach: comparative benefits of the population and high-risk preventive strategies. Eur J Cardiovasc Prev Rehabil. 2009;16(5):541–549. https://doi.org/10.1097/HJR.0b013e32832d4e09