How a well woman Health MOT differs from a smear appointment

Your smear reminder has arrived, or you've realised it's been a while. And somewhere between booking it and forgetting it again, you wonder whether you should have a proper look at everything else too: blood pressure, cholesterol, thyroid, the ovaries you've never seen on a scan.

Here is the difference in a sentence. A smear checks your cervix. A well woman Health MOT is a doctor-led assessment of your heart, metabolism and hormones, and on the Elite tier it adds consultant gynaecology, pelvic ultrasound and a smear in the same visit.

If you already know you want the full picture, the female Elite Health MOT is £2,095 at 117a Harley Street, and you can book it directly. If a smear is all you need, the sister Gynae Clinic offers a private smear on its own, along with coil appointments.

What does a smear actually check?

Cervical screening checks the health of the cervix and helps prevent cervical cancer. On the NHS it is an HPV-first test for a defined age group: women and people with a cervix aged 25 to 64 are invited every five years if HPV-negative (England), and sooner if HPV is found.

A private smear is the same kind of sample, taken in a clinic outside the national programme. It's useful if you've missed a screen, or if you'd like the sample taken as part of a wider assessment. What it gives you is an answer about your cervix. Your blood pressure, lipids, thyroid, iron and diabetes risk, your heart on an ECG, your ovaries and uterus on ultrasound and your hormone profile are separate questions, and that is where a well woman check comes in.

What's in the female Elite Health MOT?

The female Elite MOT is the well woman Health MOT with consultant gynaecology. It costs £2,095. Women's Elite runs on Thursday and Friday specialist days, so allow two and a half to three hours, and fast for four hours beforehand.

It builds in layers:

• The doctor-led baseline, including blood pressure, an ECG and metabolic bloods such as lipids, thyroid, iron and glucose.
• Advanced imaging and a female hormone profile.
• A consultation and examination with a consultant gynaecologist.
• Trans-vaginal and pelvic ultrasound, and a cervical smear.
• A mammogram from 40.
• CA-125 and CEA blood markers.
• Four GP consultations over 12 months, shareable with immediate family.

Consultant gynaecology on Elite is led by Dr Hikmat Naoum, GMC 3047637. That tells you who holds the gynae lead, rather than promising that every visit is with him. You can see the senior team on our consultants page.

Each part looks at something different. Ultrasound shows the uterus, ovaries and pelvic organs, and the smear sits beside that imaging rather than standing in for it. A mammogram looks at breast tissue, which neither a smear nor a pelvic scan can see. A senior GP reviews the wider MOT, and then a doctor goes through the whole report with you, joining the pelvic findings to your heart and blood results.

How do the other tiers compare?

Essential, at £495 and 45 minutes, is a good well woman baseline if you want an examination, an ECG and metabolic bloods without gynae imaging. Advanced, at £999, adds a chest X-ray, DEXA when indicated, lung function, fitness work, hormones and four GP visits over 12 months, shareable with immediate family. Consultant ultrasound and the smear come in at Elite. Ultimate, at £3,350 with gynaecology, adds MRI of the brain, MRA, whole spine and torso, which is a different job again.

If your question is only your pelvis and a smear, the narrower Essential gynae screen covers it. If it's your breasts, breast screening chooses a mammogram from 40, ultrasound or MRI according to your age and breast density.

What will the hormone results tell me?

Elite includes a female hormone profile: LH, FSH, prolactin, testosterone, oestradiol, SHBG and a free androgen index. These numbers give your GP and gynaecologist context. They aren't a menopause diagnosis or an HRT prescription.

That follows NICE menopause guidance (NG23). In otherwise healthy people aged 45 or over with menopause-associated symptoms, perimenopause and menopause are identified from symptoms, without laboratory tests, FSH, oestradiol or imaging. FSH may be considered earlier, including under 40 when premature ovarian insufficiency is the question, which is a separate clinical problem from a well woman screen.

So if menopausal symptoms are part of why you're coming, tell the doctor. The conversation then covers your symptoms and examination as well as the screening, and the review is where a flag, a cyst or a hormone number becomes a plan. For what each hormone does, read understanding female hormones.

Why keep your NHS screening invitations?

A private smear inside Elite sits alongside the NHS Cervical Screening Programme, so keep accepting your invitations. The same goes for breast screening. The NHS invites women aged 50 to 70 every three years in England, and older women can request screening. The Elite mammogram from 40 is a separate, private image.

Screening also comes with a trade-off worth knowing about. GOV.UK points out that it can find something that needs more tests, and that most people called back do not have cancer. A private well woman MOT carries the same trade-off: more pictures mean more findings to explain, and often the explanation is that the finding isn't important.

CA-125 works the same way. It's extra information rather than an ovarian screen. NICE NG12 uses CA125 when women have specific symptoms, and the UK National Screening Committee does not recommend population ovarian screening. If a marker is raised or the ultrasound shows a cyst, your gynaecologist and GP decide together what, if anything, needs to happen next.

For breast imaging between NHS invitations, read when private breast screening is useful.

Which appointment should I book?

Book a smear on its own if your cervix is the only question and you're up to date with everything else you wanted examined. Book the female Elite MOT if you'd like the smear as one part of a full well woman assessment, with consultant ultrasound, metabolic bloods, an ECG and a doctor who reviews the whole report.

Before you come, gather any previous smear results, HPV reports, mammograms and hormone tests, and a list of your medicines. Keep taking your regular medicines unless you've been told otherwise.

If you notice a new breast lump, heavy bleeding or pelvic pain that is getting worse, see your GP promptly, and call 999 or go to A&E in an emergency.

Full details are on the Elite Health MOT page, or you can call the clinic on 020 7183 7056.

Frequently asked questions

How is a well woman Health MOT different from a smear appointment?

A smear checks the cervix. The female Elite MOT is a doctor-led assessment that includes a smear as one part, alongside consultant gynaecology ultrasound, metabolic bloods, an ECG and a results review.

Is the smear on Elite the same as NHS cervical screening?

It is the same kind of sample, taken privately rather than through the national programme. NHS cervical screening invites people aged 25 to 64 every five years if HPV-negative (England), and sooner if HPV is found, so keep accepting that invitation.

Who sees me on the female Elite MOT?

A senior GP reviews the wider MOT, and a consultant gynaecologist does the gynae examination, ultrasound and smear. The named consultants are on the clinic team page.

Does Elite diagnose menopause or start HRT?

The hormone profile gives your doctors context for screening. NICE NG23 identifies menopause from symptoms in people aged 45 or over, without laboratory tests, so if symptoms are part of why you're coming, tell the doctor at the start.

What does the female Elite MOT cost?

£2,095. Allow two and a half to three hours on a Thursday or Friday, with a four-hour fast. It includes four GP visits over 12 months, shareable with immediate family.

When should I book a smear on its own?

When the cervix is your only question. The sister Gynae Clinic books smear and coil appointments, and a Health MOT is the wider well woman assessment.

What if I have a new breast lump or heavy bleeding?

See your GP promptly so it can be assessed straight away. Call 999 or go to A&E in an emergency.

Sources

• NHS. Cervical screening
• NHS. Breast screening (mammogram)
• NICE. Menopause: identification and management (NG23)
• NICE. Suspected cancer: recognition and referral (NG12)
• UK National Screening Committee. Principles of screening
• NHS. When to call 999
• The Health Screening Clinic. Elite Health MOT
• The Health Screening Clinic. Consultants
• General Medical Council. Medical register, Penelope Sheehan, 6056535
• General Medical Council. Medical register, Hikmat Naoum, 3047637

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