Medichecks vs Thriva vs Forth: Honest Review 2026

By OffShift · 10 min read Last Updated: March 2026

Quick Summary

• Medichecks is the best all-rounder — widest test range, venous and finger-prick options, and frequent sales that bring prices down significantly
• Thriva works best for regular monitoring — quarterly subscription model with GP-reviewed results and a clean app experience
• Forth suits fitness-focused users — strong on sports and performance panels with clear result tracking over time
• Prices range from £39 to £199 — your best option depends on what you're testing for and how often you need results

This article contains affiliate links. If you buy through these links, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You've been feeling run down for weeks. Tired all the time, foggy-headed, dragging yourself through shifts. Your GP says you "look fine" and offers a basic blood test that checks about four things. You know something's off, but the NHS waiting game isn't cutting it.

Short Answer: For most people, Medichecks offers the best balance of price, test range, and accuracy. Their Advanced Well Man/Woman panel costs around £79 (often £59 in sales) and covers thyroid, vitamins, iron, cholesterol, and liver function. Thriva is better if you want quarterly monitoring with a subscription. Forth is the pick for fitness and performance tracking.

Why We Looked at Private Blood Tests

NHS blood tests are free, and for serious health concerns they should always be your first stop. But the reality is that most GPs will only test for what they suspect is wrong. If you want a broad picture of your health, vitamins, hormones, thyroid function, and metabolic markers, you're often told "there's no clinical need."

Private blood testing fills that gap. You pick the tests, order online, give a sample (finger prick or venous draw), and get results in 2-5 days. No GP gatekeeping. No 3-week wait for a phone call.

For shift workers and people with irregular schedules, there's another practical benefit: you can do a finger-prick test at home at 6am after a night shift. Try getting a GP appointment at that hour.

How We Compared Them

We ordered tests from all four services over the past 12 months. We also looked at hundreds of reviews on Trustpilot, Reddit, and health forums to spot patterns beyond our own experience.

We judged each service on:

• Price — what you actually pay, including any subscription discounts
• Test range — how many biomarkers and panel options are available
• Sample method — finger prick, venous blood draw, or both
• Results quality — how clear, detailed, and useful the reports are
• Turnaround time — from posting your sample to getting results
• Customer support — how they handle queries, delays, and issues

Medichecks

What They Offer

Medichecks has been around since 2002 and is probably the most established name in UK private blood testing. They offer over 130 individual tests and dozens of pre-built panels covering everything from basic health checks to advanced hormone and thyroid profiles.

You can choose between a finger-prick kit (posted to your home) or a venous blood draw at one of their partner clinics across the UK. The venous option costs an extra £35 but gives a larger blood sample, which means more accurate results and more biomarkers in a single test.

Pricing

Medichecks runs frequent sales, often called "Mega Monday" deals, where prices drop 20-30%. Their regular prices are mid-range, but sale prices make them genuinely competitive.

• Essential Health Check — £49 (12 biomarkers)
• Advanced Well Man/Woman — £79 (22 biomarkers)
• Ultimate Performance — £149 (40+ biomarkers)
• Thyroid Check (Advanced) — £49 (6 thyroid markers)

Pros

• Widest range of tests in the UK
• Venous blood draw option for better accuracy
• Regular sales with meaningful discounts
• Results reviewed by their in-house doctors
• Good online dashboard for tracking results over time

Cons

• Finger-prick kits can be fiddly if you've never done one before
• Venous draw locations aren't everywhere — mostly larger towns and cities
• Base prices are higher than Thriva for basic panels

Thriva

What They Offer

Thriva takes a subscription-first approach. You sign up for quarterly blood tests, and they send you a finger-prick kit every 3 months. Each set of results is reviewed by a GP, and you get personalised recommendations through their app.

The app itself is clean and well-designed. It tracks your results over time and highlights trends, which is genuinely useful if you're monitoring something specific like vitamin D, iron, or cholesterol.

Pricing

Thriva's pricing works on a subscription model, though you can buy one-off tests too.

• Baseline Health — £49/quarter (8 biomarkers)
• Advanced Health — £79/quarter (15 biomarkers)
• Ultimate Health — £119/quarter (20 biomarkers)
• One-off tests — typically £10-15 more than subscription prices

Pros

• Subscription model is brilliant for regular monitoring
• GP-reviewed results with written feedback
• Clean, intuitive app with trend tracking
• Good for beginners who don't know where to start
• Free delivery and prepaid return envelopes

Cons

• Finger prick only — no venous draw option
• Fewer individual tests available compared to Medichecks
• Subscription commitment might not suit everyone
• Slightly limited test range for specialist needs (advanced hormones, etc.)

Forth

What They Offer

Forth (formerly ForthWithLife) sits between Medichecks and Thriva. They offer a solid range of health panels with a particular strength in fitness and performance testing. If you're someone who trains regularly and wants to track how your body is responding, Forth has some useful sport-specific panels.

Like Medichecks, they offer both finger-prick and venous draw options. Their results come with traffic-light indicators and trend graphs.

Pricing

• Baseline Health — £49 (10 biomarkers)
• Vitality Check — £79 (17 biomarkers)
• Ultimate Performance — £135 (30+ biomarkers)
• Sports Hormone Panel — £89 (testosterone, cortisol, DHEA, and more)

Pros

• Strong fitness and performance panels
• Venous blood draw available
• Good result tracking with clear visuals
• Competitive pricing on mid-range panels
• Helpful customer support based on user reviews

Cons

• Less well-known brand, fewer independent reviews
• Smaller test range than Medichecks overall
• Website can feel a bit dated compared to Thriva's app
• Fewer clinic locations for venous draws

LetsGetChecked

What They Offer

LetsGetChecked is an Irish company that operates across the UK and internationally. They cover a broad range of health areas, including sexual health, hormones, and general wellness. Their process is straightforward: order online, do a finger-prick test at home, and get results in 2-5 days with a nurse consultation.

The nurse call-back is a standout feature. Instead of just reading a PDF, you speak to a real nurse who walks you through the results. That's reassuring, especially if something flags as abnormal.

Pricing

LetsGetChecked tends to be pricier than the UK-based alternatives.

• Essential Health — £69 (8 biomarkers)
• Well Man/Woman — £99 (15 biomarkers)
• Ultimate Health — £159 (25+ biomarkers)
• Thyroid Panel — £79 (6 markers)

Pros

• Nurse consultation included with every result
• Good sexual health and hormone testing options
• Well-established internationally with strong quality standards
• Clear and professional results presentation

Cons

• Most expensive option on this list
• Finger prick only — no venous draw
• Fewer UK-specific panels
• Customer support can be slow based on Trustpilot feedback
• Irish company, so some tests ship from outside the UK

The Comparison Table

Feature	Medichecks	Thriva	Forth	LetsGetChecked
Price (basic panel)	£49	£49	£49	£69
Price (advanced panel)	£79	£79	£79	£99
Price (comprehensive)	£149	£119	£135	£159
Finger prick	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Venous draw	Yes (£35 extra)	No	Yes	No
Number of tests available	130+	40+	60+	50+
Subscription model	No	Yes (quarterly)	No	No
Results turnaround	2-4 days	2-5 days	2-5 days	2-5 days
Results reviewed by	Doctor	GP	Doctor	Nurse (call-back)
Best for	Range and accuracy	Regular monitoring	Fitness tracking	Nurse support

Reality Check

Here's what nobody tells you about home blood testing: the finger-prick method is harder than it looks. We've done dozens of these across all four services, and getting enough blood to fill the collection tube takes practice. Your first attempt will probably involve squeezing your finger until it's purple, warming your hands under hot water, and still not quite filling the vial.

The pattern we see again and again in forums and reviews is people failing their first finger-prick sample. The kit arrives, you're all keen, and then you can't get enough blood out. Medichecks and Forth let you book a venous draw instead, which eliminates this problem entirely. If you've never done a finger-prick test before, we'd genuinely recommend paying the extra £35 for a venous draw on your first go. You'll get better results from a larger blood sample, and you won't waste £79 on a test that gets rejected for insufficient blood.

Who Should Pick What

Best for Most People: Medichecks

If you want a one-off comprehensive blood test with the widest range of options, Medichecks is the clear winner. Their Advanced Well Man/Woman panel at £79 (often on sale for £59) covers the biomarkers that matter most for general health. Add a venous draw if you can get to a clinic.

Best for Regular Monitoring: Thriva

If you want to test quarterly and track trends over time, Thriva's subscription model makes it dead simple. The app does the heavy lifting, and having a GP review each set of results means you're not left guessing what the numbers mean.

Best for Fitness Enthusiasts: Forth

If you train regularly and want to track performance markers like testosterone, cortisol, iron, and inflammation alongside general health, Forth's sport-specific panels are well-designed and fairly priced.

Best for Nervous First-Timers: LetsGetChecked

If the thought of interpreting blood results on your own feels overwhelming, the nurse call-back from LetsGetChecked is worth the premium. You'll pay more, but you'll speak to a real person who explains everything.

How to Get the Best Value

A few tips we've picked up from ordering regularly:

• Wait for sales — Medichecks runs "Mega Monday" promotions almost weekly. Prices drop 20-30%, sometimes more. Never pay full price
• Start with a broad panel — rather than testing individual biomarkers, get a comprehensive panel first. Then test specific markers on follow-ups if anything flags
• Test at the right time — most blood tests should be done fasting, ideally before 10am. If you're on nights, test on a rest day after your sleep
• Keep your results — download PDFs and keep a folder. If you switch providers later, you'll want to compare like for like
• Share with your GP — private blood test results are legitimate. If something flags as abnormal, take the results to your GP. They should act on them

What to Test If You're Not Sure

If you've never had a private blood test and don't know what to pick, here's what we'd recommend for a first-time comprehensive check:

• Full blood count — checks for anaemia, infection, and blood disorders
• Thyroid function (TSH, T3, T4) — underactive thyroid is incredibly common and often missed
• Vitamin D — almost everyone in the UK is deficient, especially shift workers
• Iron and ferritin — low iron causes fatigue even without full anaemia
• B12 and folate — deficiency causes tiredness and brain fog
• Cholesterol panel — baseline worth knowing, especially over 30
• Liver function — good to check if you drink regularly
• HbA1c — checks blood sugar control over the past 3 months

Most advanced panels from any provider will cover all of these for £79-119.

Sources & Further Reading

• NHS — Blood Tests
• Medichecks — About Our Tests
• Thriva — How It Works
• Forth — Our Testing Process
• LetsGetChecked — UK Tests
• MHRA — Regulation of In Vitro Diagnostic Devices

Related Articles

• How to Get a Blood Test Without Your GP
• Cheapest Private Blood Tests in the UK
• Finger Prick Blood Test Accuracy: What You Need to Know
• Blood Test Results Explained for UK Patients

Frequently Asked Questions

Are private blood tests as accurate as NHS ones?

Yes. Private blood testing companies use the same UKAS-accredited labs as the NHS. The main difference is who orders the test and who reviews the results. Venous blood draws are slightly more accurate than finger-prick tests for certain biomarkers, but both methods are clinically valid.

How much does a private blood test cost in the UK?

Basic panels start from around £39-49 and cover 8-12 biomarkers. Comprehensive panels with 20-40+ markers typically cost £79-159. Medichecks runs regular sales where advanced panels drop to around £59. Venous blood draws cost an extra £25-35 on top of the test price.

Can I show private blood test results to my GP?

Absolutely. Private blood test results from accredited labs are legitimate medical data. If anything comes back abnormal, book a GP appointment and bring the results. Most GPs will take them seriously, though some may want to repeat specific tests through the NHS to confirm.

Which blood test should I get first?

Start with an advanced health panel that includes full blood count, thyroid function, vitamin D, iron, B12, cholesterol, and liver function. This covers the most common deficiencies and issues. Expect to pay £79-99 for a panel covering all of these. You can then test specific markers on follow-ups.

Is the finger-prick test painful?

Mildly. The lancet feels like a sharp flick — less painful than a needle at the GP. The harder part is squeezing enough blood to fill the tube. Warm your hands under hot water for two minutes beforehand, stay well-hydrated, and follow the instructions exactly. If you're worried, book a venous draw instead.

How often should I get a blood test?

For general health monitoring, once or twice a year is plenty. If you're tracking something specific like vitamin D after supplementing, or thyroid levels after medication changes, every 3-4 months makes sense. Thriva's quarterly subscription is designed around this frequency and makes it easy to stick to.

This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always consult your GP before making changes to your diet, exercise routine, or health management.