When a private MOT adds something the NHS cardiovascular programme is not designed to do

A letter from your GP surgery says you're due an NHS Health Check. Meanwhile you've seen private Health MOTs advertised on Harley Street, and you're wondering whether one replaces the other, or whether you need both.

They do different jobs. The NHS Health Check, for people aged 40 to 74, is a review of your heart and circulation risk over the next ten years. A private MOT at The Health Screening Clinic is led by a doctor. It adds an examination, a broader laboratory panel and, on some tiers, imaging the NHS programme was never built to include. Plenty of people use both.

If you already know you want the wider check, compare the four tiers on our Health MOTs page. The Essential Health MOT starts at £495.

What the NHS Health Check covers

NHS.uk describes the NHS Health Check as a free check of the health of your heart and blood vessels. It shows whether you're at higher risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and kidney disease, and gives you time to talk about reducing that risk. If you're over 65, you should also be told about dementia symptoms to look out for, because some types of dementia share the same risk factors.

It's for people aged 40 to 74 without one of a listed set of conditions. Those are heart disease, chronic kidney disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, atrial fibrillation, transient ischaemic attack, inherited high cholesterol (familial hypercholesterolaemia), heart failure, peripheral arterial disease and stroke. It also leaves out people already prescribed medicines such as statins to lower cholesterol. The same goes for anyone whose previous check found a 20% or higher risk of cardiovascular disease over the next ten years. If you already have one of those diagnoses, NHS.uk says you should be offered regular check-ups with the team that looks after that condition.

Eligible people should be invited by their GP or local council every five years, and in some areas the check can be done online. If you haven't been invited, NHS.uk says to contact your GP practice, or your local council if the practice doesn't offer the checks.

The appointment usually takes about 20 to 30 minutes, typically with a pharmacist, a nurse at a GP surgery or a healthcare assistant. It usually includes height, weight, waist, blood pressure, a cholesterol test and possibly a blood sugar test. You'll be asked about close relatives' medical conditions, smoking, alcohol and activity, and your age, sex and ethnicity are recorded.

You leave with a cardiovascular risk score for the next ten years, often described as low, moderate or high. The breakdown typically includes BMI, blood pressure, cholesterol, an alcohol-use score, a physical activity assessment and a diabetes risk assessment. Smoking, cholesterol and blood pressure can all be changed, so the professional should talk through diet, activity, weight, smoking, salt, alcohol and cholesterol.

What the NHS check is designed to do

The NHS Health Check is built to find cardiovascular risk in a defined age band, and it does that well. Imaging and wider tests sit outside it by design. That covers MRI of the brain, spine or torso, and specialist ultrasound of the abdomen, pelvis, breasts or testes. It also covers a tumour-marker panel, a thyroid, hormone or vitamin work-up, a chest X-ray, a DEXA bone-density scan and lung-function testing.

The UK National Screening Committee puts it plainly. Population screening identifies apparently healthy people who may have an increased chance of a condition, and each programme is built around a defined test and a defined follow-up. A private check sits alongside the invitations you already receive.

If your question is about a particular cancer risk rather than ten-year heart and circulation risk, that's a different conversation. The Health Screening Clinic keeps organ-specific cancer screening separate from a Health MOT for that reason.

When the NHS check answers your question

Take up the NHS invitation when your question is cardiovascular risk, you're between 40 and 74, you feel well, and there's no family-history imaging question in the background. It's free, and it answers that question properly. If you've already been diagnosed with one of the listed conditions, the NHS team looking after you is the place for those regular check-ups.

When a private MOT adds something

Book a private MOT when you want a doctor to examine you and review a laboratory panel that goes well beyond lipids, glucose and BMI. Every Health MOT at The Health Screening Clinic includes a physical assessment with a Harley Street doctor, detailed blood analysis, a written report and a results review. That's a different appointment from a 20-to-30-minute cardiovascular check.

It also helps when your question is about structure as well as chemistry. Depending on the tier, that means a chest film, bone density when indicated, specialist ultrasound, or a full-body MRI of the brain, vessels, spine and torso. Imaging is worth it once you've accepted that a scan can find incidental findings as well as important ones.

It also gives you continuity after the report. Advanced, Elite and Ultimate include four private GP appointments over 12 months, shareable with immediate family, alongside the NHS check's five-yearly invitation. People under 40 or over 74 fall outside the NHS programme, which is one reason they book a private baseline. The right tier still depends on your question as much as your age.

Four private MOT tiers, each with a doctor present

The Essential Health MOT is currently £495 and takes about 45 minutes, with no fasting needed. You see a doctor for body composition, blood pressure and an ECG. The core panel that typically includes blood count, kidney and liver function, lipids, glucose, HbA1c, thyroid and iron.

The Advanced Health MOT is currently £999, with a four-hour fast. It adds a chest X-ray, spirometry, a hormone profile and a DEXA bone-density scan when clinically indicated, plus four GP appointments over 12 months, shareable with immediate family.

Elite, currently £1,850 for men and £2,095 for women, adds specialist ultrasound: a gynaecology-led assessment for women, and abdominal, pelvic and testicular imaging for men. Ultimate, currently £2,950 or £3,350 with the gynaecology bundle, adds a full-body MRI of the brain, intracranial and carotid MRA, whole spine, chest, abdomen and pelvis. Inclusions can change, so the clinic pages hold the current list, and the FAQ answers preparation questions such as fasting.

What a flagged result means

Laboratories mark results against a reference range, which is a statistical interval for the test. It's a guide, and the verdict comes from the doctor. Take an out-of-range cholesterol, a hormone outside the printed band, a cyst on ultrasound or a disc bulge on MRI. Depending on the rest of the picture, any of these can mean treatment, a repeat test, a specialist opinion, or nothing urgent. The doctor who examined you is there to make that call.

Tumour markers can't diagnose cancer or give an all-clear, and a clear MRI is reassurance rather than a guarantee. NICE suspected-cancer guidance (NG12) uses tests such as PSA and CA125 to assess people who have symptoms. Take important findings back to your NHS GP, or ask the clinic to keep the thread, so the private report works alongside your ordinary NHS care.

Getting ready for either check

Bring previous bloods, clinic letters and a medication list if you have them. Fast only when the clinic has asked you to, and keep taking regular medicines unless you've been told otherwise. Say if cancer, heart disease or osteoporosis runs in the family, and keep the NHS breast, bowel and cervical invitations you already receive.

If something new, severe or worsening is bothering you, see your GP first or call NHS 111. Call 999 or go to A&E in an emergency.

If a private MOT fills the gap you've named, see which tier matches it on the Health MOTs page, or call The Health Screening Clinic on 020 7183 7056.

Frequently asked questions

Is a private MOT a replacement for the NHS 40-to-74 cardiovascular check?

They do different jobs, so you can use both. The NHS programme is a free heart and circulation review for eligible people aged 40 to 74, usually every five years. A private MOT can add an examination, broader bloods and, on some tiers, imaging.

Who is the NHS check best suited to?

People aged 40 to 74 whose question is cardiovascular risk, who feel well, and who don't have a family-history imaging question. People with a listed pre-existing condition should have regular check-ups with the NHS team already looking after that condition.

Does the NHS visit include MRI, ultrasound or tumour markers?

It covers height, weight, waist, blood pressure, cholesterol, possibly blood sugar, BMI, diabetes risk and a lifestyle conversation. MRI, specialist ultrasound and tumour markers are part of the private tiers instead.

If a private MOT result is outside the reference range, do I have a disease?

Not necessarily. A reference range is a laboratory interval rather than a diagnosis, and the doctor who examined you decides whether a flag needs action, repeating, monitoring or no treatment at all.

How long does the NHS check take, and who does it?

It usually takes about 20 to 30 minutes and is typically done by a pharmacist, a nurse at a GP surgery or a healthcare assistant. A private Essential Health MOT takes about 45 minutes with a doctor.

Sources

• NHS. NHS Health Check
• UK National Screening Committee. Principles of screening
• NICE. Suspected cancer: recognition and referral (NG12)
• The Health Screening Clinic. Health MOTs
• General Medical Council. Medical register, Penelope Sheehan, 6056535

Written By

Stephen Lingam

Managing Director

Managing Director of Medical Express Clinic and the Health Screening Clinic since 1984. Over 40 years of operational experience in private healthcare on Harley Street, overseeing patient care, clinical standards, and service delivery.

Medically Reviewed

Dr Penny Sheehan

MBBS, MRCGP

General Practitioner

GMC: 6056535

Specialising in women's health, hormonal balance, and menopause management within screening contexts.

Last reviewed: 25/09/2026