What is a health assessment?
A health assessment is a detailed check of your overall health. Often called a health check, health check-up, full body health check or Health MOT, it brings together a range of physical measurements and blood tests to give you a clearer picture of your health.
Depending on the assessment you choose, checks may include blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, liver and kidney function, iron levels, body composition and heart health.
A health assessment can help identify results that may be worth paying attention to, even when you feel well. It can also give you useful information to discuss with your GP and help you keep track of changes in your health over time.
Bluecrest Wellness provides private health assessments at venues across the UK and Ireland, with different packages available depending on what you want to check.
Explore our packages and book online today.
What is included in a full body health check?
A full body health check looks at several areas of your health during one appointment. The exact checks depend on the package you choose, but can include blood tests, physical measurements and cardiovascular checks.
Bluecrest Full Body Health Assessments can include checks covering:
- Blood pressure
- Heart health
- Cholesterol
- Blood sugar and HbA1c
- Liver function
- Kidney function
- Iron and essential proteins
- Lung function
- Body composition
- Heart disease and stroke risk The aim isn't to test for every possible health condition. Instead, a full body health assessment brings together a range of useful health markers, giving you a broader view than checking one area alone.
How does a private health check work?
A Bluecrest health assessment is designed to fit into a normal day, with appointments available at venues across the UK and Ireland.
1. Choose your health check
Select the package that best suits what you want to check. You can also add individual tests to eligible packages if there's a particular area of your health you'd like to look at.
2. Book your appointment
Choose a convenient venue, date and time when you book online.
3. Attend your health assessment
A trained Health Assessment Specialist carries out your checks, which can include blood samples and physical measurements. Your appointment usually takes around 20 to 30 minutes, depending on the assessment.
4. Receive your results
Your results are made available through My Wellness, Bluecrest's online dashboard. Results are presented clearly, with green, amber and red flags to help you see which areas are within the expected range and which may need attention.
You'll also receive a downloadable results report that you can share with your GP if appropriate.
What does a health assessment check?
The checks included in a private health assessment vary between packages. A more comprehensive full body health check can look at several different areas of your health.
Heart and cardiovascular health
Checks may include blood pressure, cholesterol, an ECG and an assessment of your risk of heart disease and stroke.
Blood sugar and diabetes
An HbA1c blood test provides an indication of your average blood sugar levels over the previous two to three months. It can help identify blood sugar levels that are higher than the healthy range.
Liver and kidney function
Blood tests can provide information about how your liver and kidneys are functioning.
Iron and essential nutrients
Depending on the package, testing can include iron and other markers linked to nutrition and general health.
Lung health
Some assessments include lung function testing, which measures how well your lungs are working.
Body composition
A body composition check can provide information about measures such as body fat and muscle mass, depending on the assessment.
The exact combination of tests varies, so it's worth checking what is included before booking.
Why have a health check-up?
You don't need to be unwell to have your health checked.
Some health markers can change without causing noticeable symptoms. High blood pressure and high cholesterol, for example, often don't produce obvious signs, while blood sugar can gradually rise without you realising.
A health check-up can therefore provide information you might not get simply by paying attention to how you feel.
Your results may also help you:
- Understand more about your current health
- Identify areas that may benefit from attention
- Keep track of important health markers over time
- Have more informed conversations with your GP
- Set realistic health and lifestyle goals A private health assessment doesn't replace NHS care or a GP appointment. It's another way of getting information about your health.
Which type of health assessment is right for me?
The most suitable health check depends on what you want to understand about your health.
Full Health Assessment
Our general full body health check, also known as a Health MOT, looks at a broad range of health markers. Depending on the package, this can include heart and lung health, kidney and liver function, cholesterol, blood sugar, protein and iron.
Female Cancer Risk
The Female Cancer Risk assessment looks at risk factors associated with several cancers affecting women. It is designed for adults aged 40 and over and includes checks such as urinalysis, HPV detection and assessments relating to cervical, bowel and stomach cancer risk.
Male Cancer Risk
The Male Cancer Risk assessment combines general health checks with assessments relating to risk factors for conditions including bowel, stomach and prostate cancer. It is recommended for adults aged 40 and over.
Energy Profile Check
If you're experiencing ongoing tiredness and want to look at whether nutrient levels could be contributing, an Energy Profile Check assesses a range of vitamins and minerals.
You can also choose from Bluecrest's individual health tests if there's a particular health marker you'd like to check.
View all Bluecrest health tests and packages.
Health check-up vs full body health assessment
The terms health check-up, health check, Health MOT and health assessment are often used to describe similar types of preventative health screening.
A full body health assessment generally means a broader check covering several areas of health rather than focusing on one particular symptom, condition or health marker.
There isn't a standard set of tests that every private provider includes in a "full body check-up". What's included varies between providers and packages, so always check the details before booking.
At Bluecrest, each package clearly sets out the checks and tests included, so you can choose an assessment based on the areas of your health you want to understand.
What happens after a Bluecrest health assessment?
Once your results are ready, you'll be able to view them through My Wellness.
Results are presented using a simple green, amber and red flag system. This makes it easier to see which results are within the expected range and which may be worth paying attention to.
Where appropriate, your results can help you decide what to focus on next or what you may want to discuss with your GP.
A health assessment isn't a diagnosis, and a flagged result doesn't necessarily mean you have a health condition. Results need to be considered in context, particularly if you're experiencing symptoms or have an existing medical condition.
How often should you have a health check?
There's no single schedule that's right for everyone.
How often you have a private health assessment can depend on your age, health, family history, lifestyle and what you want to monitor.
In England, eligible adults aged 40 to 74 are offered an NHS Health Check every five years. A private health assessment can provide additional checks depending on the package you choose.
If you're unsure how often you should have a particular test, your GP or another healthcare professional can advise you based on your circumstances.
Book a private full body health assessment
A Bluecrest Health Assessment brings together a range of health measurements and blood tests in one appointment, depending on the package you choose.
With venues across the UK and Ireland and a choice of health check packages, you can choose an assessment based on the areas you want to understand.
Your results are presented in a straightforward format, with clear green, amber and red flags to help you quickly see which areas are within the expected range and which may need attention.
If you're looking for a private health check-up, full body health assessment or Health MOT, you can view Bluecrest's health assessment packages and choose the option that's right for you.
Need help? Call free on 0800 652 2183 to speak to one of our team.
Dr Martin Thornton
Chief Medical Officer, Bluecrest
Graham Jones
Medical Writer
