Covid 19 Tests

Please contact the clinic to confirm current test availability and suitability before booking.

We offer three types of Covid 19 test, the antibody test, the PCR Swab test & the rapid antigen test.

Covid 19 testing is still a rapidly evolving science, as new information becomes available through research. We will update our website when this happens to keep you up to date.

The Antibody Tests

We offer three types of Antibody blood tests:

The Roche IgG/IgM antibody £87 blood test tests to see if you have previously had the Covid 19 virus. This is reported as a positive/negative.

When to test:14 days after the start of symptoms

Results: Up to 3 working days and will be emailed to you

Age: Suitable only for 13 years of age and older

The Roche Spike Protein antibody £87 tests for immunity to either the vaccine or infection.A numerical value up to 2,500 U/mL is reported. A result < 0.80 U/mL is negative. A result > 0.80 U/mL is positive. How a specific antibody level correlates to immunity is not yet known and so we are not able to advise on this. You can discuss unexpected negative results with either your vaccination provider, Public Health England or the MHRA.

When to test:14 days after vaccine (or start of symptoms)

Results: Up to 3 working days and will be emailed to you

Age: Suitable only for 13 years of age and older

The T-SPOT®.COVID T-CELL £172 tests for a T cell-mediated response to Covid 19. It can be used to detect evidence of a T cell-mediated immune response to Covid 19 in people with positive PCR results but negative antibody test results for example.

The T-SPOT®.COVID test results, complemented by antibody results, may give a more comprehensive view of an individual’s immune response to Covid 19. Using both T cell and antibody results give an incremental diagnostic yield. This is reported as a positive/negative. A positive test means it is highly likely that you have been exposed to the Covid 19 virus.

When to test: Anytime (test is only available Monday-Friday)

Results: Up to 4 working days and will be emailed to you

Age: Suitable only for 13 years of age and older

The In-Clinic Travel Pcr Test £89

Please contact the clinic to confirm current test availability and suitability before booking.

If you require a travel/flight swab with strict timing requirements, you will need to know ALL of the following:

1. Travel date

2. Departure & arrival time

3. Timing requirements for TEST date (e.g test date must be within 96 hours of departure)

4. Timing requirements for REPORT date if any (e.g report date must be within 96 hours of departure but the test date can be anytime)

Turnaround times

For a test performed anytime on Monday to Saturday - results are guaranteed to be emailed the next day by 8am - 10am. For a test performed on Sunday - results will be on Tuesday by 8am - 10am. These are laboratory dependent and so are subject to change at anytime. The above excludes bank holidays.

Fit to fly Certificates

Fit to fly certificates are sent via email to you. These are formal colour PDF documents with a QR code (QR codes link to our website to confirm authenticity, but as they do not link to a cloud certificate a manual upload is required if uploading a certificate), your details, our clinic details, test method (RT-PCR) the test date/time, result date/time, result and ISO/UKAS accreditation, laboratory details, and are signed and stamped.

Accreditation

All tests are RT-PCR tests and are performed by a UKAS (ISO15189) accredited laboratory, are approved by Public Health England (PHE) and are recognised internationally.

How to book

Use your flight details to book a suitable appointment. All appointments need to be booked online and are subject to availability. If you are not sure when to book, please email us with your flight and timing requirements and we will help you. To check availability and book an appointment, please click the 'Book a test/appointment' button at the top of this page. Please enter all the details required including DOB, Flight date/time, test timing requirements and passport numbers. Bookings with missing information will automatically be cancelled. Please bring your passport to your appointment.

If you need to change / cancel your appointment

Once booked, appointment dates/times can be changed/cancelled anytime using a button on your appointment confirmation email named 'View or change my appointment'. There is no cancellation fee.

Price & Payment

The price of a Covid 19 PCR test including report and fit to fly certificate is £139 per person. At the moment, a discount is not available for this service. Payment can be made at the appointment by card/cash (if paying by cash please bring exact cash amount). A receipt will be provided.

Peace Of Mind Pcr Test £89

If you do not have any flight timing requirements and simply require a peace of mind test you can book an appointment anytime using our online booking. Turnaround times: for a test performed on Monday to Saturday - 98% of results arrive the next day from 7pm - 8pm & 2% arrive two days later by 9am. For a test performed on Sunday - 98% of results arrive on Tuesday from 7pm - 8pm & 2% arrive on Wednesday by 9am. These are laboratory dependent and so are subject to change at anytime. The above excludes bank holidays.

Rapid Antigen Self Test £49

This is available for Travel/Flights. It is a Roche SD Biosensor SARS‐CoV‐2 (COVID-19) Rapid Diagnostic Antigen self Test performed via self swab of throat/nasal swab. Fit to travel certificate sent by email in 1 hour. It is MHRA accredited. Specificity is 99.68% Sensitivity is 96.52% If you are symptom free and require travel testing e.g. flight, airport or visa requirements, then the test is available to have at our clinic via a self-test. Please check your destination country will accept this test before booking.

Certificate Of Recovery From Covid-19 £89

If you have had a positive Covid 19 test over 11 days ago and you have completed quarantine and have no active symptoms of covid 19 eg fever, then you can book for an appointment to obtain a Certificate of Recovery from Covid 19. Please check this type of certificate is accepted for your test by your destination country before booking. From our website, click 'Book an appointment,' > Covid Testing > Certificate of Recovery from Covid 19 (£89). A separate appointment is required per person. You will need to email us evidence of your positive test. Your certificate will be emailed to you after your appointment. Certificates are PDF documents on headed paper with a digital QR code, with your personal details (name, dob & passport number), and confirmation of your test date, your recovery from your covid -19 and confirms are fit to travel.

Frequently Asked Questions

Laboratories

We use several laboratories including NHS and private laboratories. All are UKAS (ISO15189) accredited.

Accuracy

Roche IgG Antibody test: Sensitivity: 99.8%, Specificity: 100.0%

RT-PCR Swab Sensitivity: 98.0%, Specificity: 100.0%

Roche SD Biosensor Rapid Diagnostic Antigen Test: Specificity 99.68% Sensitivity 96.52%

Regulation

These are all FDA, PHE and EU approved COVID 19 tests and are UKAS (ISO15189) accredited and recognised internationally. All COVID 19 activity is included in NHSE Data and reported to PHE daily.

Age

The antibody blood test is only suitable for those 13 years of age and older. The swab test has no age restriction.

The Antibody Self Collection Test

We are currently only offering in-clinic blood tests for antibody testing.

PCR tests - Inconclusive tests: what does that mean and how does it happen?

Laboratory testing is a very complex and sensitive process. Whilst inconclusive results are very rare, they can and do happen. There are many causes that can result in an inconclusive result including environmental, temperature control, contamination of food or drink consumed (normally within 30 minutes of test), or very early infection stages. In the event of an inconclusive test, a new test will be required. The same test fee applies. There is no guarantee that this will provide a conclusive result. We always recommend that you book your test as early as possible, but within your destination country’s stipulated accepted test timeframe. We are not responsible for any direct, indirect, or consequential loss incurred as a result of an inconclusive test result.

PCR tests - My PCR test is positive - what do I do?

A positive result indicates that the test has detected the presence of Covid-19 virus. Even if you have not had symptoms of coronavirus, you must self-isolate. More details can be found here: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/self-isolation-and-treatment/when-to-self-isolate-and-what-to-do. (opens in a new tab) You may be contacted for contact tracing and to check that you, and those who you live or are travelling with, are self-isolating. You must not travel, including to leave the UK, during self-isolation. Contact 111 if you need medical help. In an emergency dial 999.

PCR tests - Can I have a re-test if I test positive?

After a positive test, the earliest you can retest at our clinic is 10 days after your test. The same test fee applies. However, you may be able to register for an earlier follow up test under the National Health Service (NHS).

PCR tests - Could my result be a false positive/negative?

Testing is a biological process involving significant complexity and variability, and consequently no testing regime for Covid-19 is 100% accurate in all cases. A negative result therefore does not guarantee that the test subject is free of the Covid-19 virus, nor does a positive result guarantee that the test subject has active, infectious Covid-19. All testing is conducted on this basis and we cannot accept liability for any personal consequences of this.

PCR tests - Is it possible to get a positive result one day, and a negative result the next day, and vice versa?

Yes, because this is the natural pattern of a virus, it is all about timing. The typical cycle of a virus is that a subject contracts the virus - a few days later the subject may display symptoms - the subject’s immune system kicks in and creates antibodies to fight the virus - the virus is destroyed. Timelines differ by person dependent on strength of immune system, and aggressiveness of infection. Covid-19 tests are designed to detect the presence or the Covid-19 virus in the subject’s system. In the immediate days of contracting the Covid-19 virus, the level of virus in the system may be so small that it is not detectable by any test, and this could lead to a negative result. After a person has contracted the virus, and their immune system has destroyed the infection, dead virus cells may still be present in the subject’s system and this may be detected by the test. Even though the subject has no active infection and is no longer contagious, the presence of dead Coronavirus cells may lead to occasional positive results until the body fully clears these cells. In this way, an infected person may receive initially one result and then another over a small time period.

Further information

For any further test queries not answered on our website please contact us by email at hello@drmoprivateclinic.co.uk