Where to get a full medical check-up in the UK if you are not already near Harley Street

The search is usually typed far from Marylebone: a kitchen table in Leeds, a lunch break in Cardiff, a Sunday evening in Edinburgh. You want a full medical check-up, and Harley Street isn't round the corner.

Where to go depends on the question. If it's heart and circulation risk, your GP or the free NHS Health Check may cover it close to home. If you want a doctor to examine you, run laboratory work and imaging chosen for your tier, and then sit down with you to go through every result, that's a Health MOT. Most people who book one with us don't live in W1.

You don't need a GP referral. The Essential Health MOT is a 45-minute doctor-led baseline at £495 at The Health Screening Clinic, 117a Harley Street, London W1G 6AT, and booking is direct.

What does a full medical check-up actually mean?

The phrase covers very different things: a ten-minute blood pressure visit, a nurse-led cardiovascular check, a private blood panel posted without anyone examining you, and a doctor-led Health MOT with imaging. Matching the visit to your question matters. It saves you a long private day when a local heart check would have answered it. It also stops you settling for local care when you really wanted a Harley Street doctor to examine you and sit with the results.

What can I get close to home?

NHS.uk describes the NHS Health Check as a free check of the health of your heart and blood vessels for people aged 40 to 74. It's offered to those who don't already have a listed related condition, such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, high blood pressure or atrial fibrillation. Eligible people should be invited every five years. The visit usually lasts about 20 to 30 minutes with a nurse, pharmacist or healthcare assistant, and you leave with a ten-year cardiovascular risk score. It runs in England; in Wales and Scotland, ask your GP.

It does that job well. If cardiovascular risk is your whole question, take up the invitation, or ask your GP practice if you haven't been invited. It's often the best use of a morning.

Your own GP is the other local baseline: blood pressure, cholesterol, HbA1c, your chest, your medicines, and referral when a symptom needs a specialist. A private blood test near home also works well when a clinician already knows what to test for. Same-day and weekend care where you live is the quickest place for a new symptom, a blood pressure check this week, or a prescription you need now.

For a new lump, chest pain, shortness of breath, unexplained bleeding or anything that is getting worse, see your GP or call NHS 111, and call 999 or go to A&E in an emergency.

When is a trip to Harley Street worth it?

Travel makes sense when your question is bigger than heart risk on a five-year cycle. It's worth it when you want the examination, the investigations and the review in the same doctor-led visit. People come from across the UK for a first baseline, because illness sits close in the family, because an employer screen felt thin, or because they want imaging and a reviewed report rather than a dashboard of numbers.

Each tier is a different kind of day. Essential is the 45-minute doctor-led baseline at £495. The Advanced Health MOT, at £999, takes 1 to 1.5 hours with a minimum four-hour fast, and adds a chest X-ray, DEXA when clinically indicated, spirometry, a VO2 max assessment, and four private GP appointments over the following 12 months, shareable with immediate family.

The Elite Health MOT is a 2.5 to 3 hour visit at £1,850 for men and £2,095 for women, with gender-specific ultrasound. Women's Elite runs on Thursday and Friday specialist days and men's Elite Monday to Friday. Men have abdominal, pelvic and testicular scans plus PSA over 40. Women have gynaecology, trans-vaginal ultrasound, a mammogram from 40, and a smear.

The Ultimate Health MOT asks you to allow 3 to 4 hours for MRI of the brain with intracranial and carotid MRA, the whole spine and the torso, at £2,950 without gynaecology or £3,350 with it. The full menu is on the Health MOT packages page.

Whichever tier you choose, the core stays the same. A doctor examines you, the investigations are chosen by tier, and you come back for an in-person review, so you're never left holding an unread report. Advanced, Elite and Ultimate carry that continuity on after the visit, with four GP appointments over 12 months, shareable with immediate family. Our frequently asked questions page sets out exactly what the MOT includes.

How do I plan the day if I'm travelling?

Health MOTs at 117a Harley Street run Monday to Friday; weekend hours are for reception only. Same-day Essential appointments are available when capacity allows, which helps if you're already travelling. If the date is awkward to arrange, the contact page is there, or you can call 020 7183 7056.

Allow time for the appointment itself, from 45 minutes at Essential to three or four hours at Ultimate, and for the later review. Fast only if your tier asks for it. Advanced and the tiers above need a minimum four-hour fast, and Essential needs no fasting. Keep taking your regular medicines unless the clinic asks you to pause them.

Write your question down before you book, and bring previous bloods, letters and a medication list. If cancer, heart disease, diabetes or a sudden death sits close in the family, say so, because it changes which tests a doctor may discuss. Even then, markers and MRI can't rule cancer in or out on their own.

You arrange your own travel and stay. Come for the medicine, go home with a plan, and keep your review with the same doctor so the first visit leads somewhere. Keep your NHS breast, cervical and bowel screening invitations going too. For more on the day itself, see how to prepare for a Health MOT.

What happens if a result is flagged?

The UK National Screening Committee puts it well. Screening identifies apparently healthy people who may have an increased chance of a condition, and a positive screen is a reason for more checks rather than a diagnosis. No test is perfect: a false positive overstates the chance, a false negative understates it, and both can cause harm.

Laboratories mark results against a reference range, which is a statistical interval for that test rather than a verdict on your health. An out-of-range cholesterol, a raised inflammatory marker, a cyst on ultrasound or a tumour marker number is a flag. The doctor who examined you reads it with your history, medicines and examination before anything becomes a plan. A clear scan, likewise, is a snapshot rather than a lifetime all-clear.

If the NHS programme is your starting point, read when a private MOT adds something the NHS cardiovascular programme is not designed to do. When you're ready, book directly or call 020 7183 7056.

Frequently asked questions

Is the NHS Health Check the same as a full medical check-up?

They do different jobs. The NHS Health Check is a free cardiovascular review in England for eligible people aged 40 to 74, usually every five years; in Wales and Scotland, ask your GP. A Health MOT at The Health Screening Clinic is a doctor-led examination with laboratory work, imaging that changes by tier, and an in-person review.

Can I get a full medical check-up without coming to Harley Street?

Often, yes, if the question is heart risk, a local symptom, or a blood test your own clinician has already defined. Come to 117a Harley Street when you want this clinic's doctor-led Health MOT.

Is it worth travelling if I do not live in London?

It can be, when you want a concentrated doctor-led assessment rather than a five-year heart score. Most demand for these packages is national. You arrange your own travel, come for the medicine and go home with a reviewed plan.

Do I need a GP referral?

No. You can book directly. Bring previous results if you have them, and tell the doctor about family history and medicines.

How long does a Health MOT take, and do I need to fast?

Essential is 45 minutes. Advanced is 1 to 1.5 hours with a minimum four-hour fast. Elite is 2.5 to 3 hours with specialist ultrasound; women's Elite runs on Thursday and Friday specialist days, and men's Elite is available Monday to Friday. Ultimate is 3 to 4 hours with MRI of brain, intracranial and carotid MRA, whole spine and torso.

What if something on the report is outside the reference range?

The doctor who examined you reads the result with the rest of the visit, because a flag is a reason to look closer rather than a diagnosis. A clear scan is a snapshot, not a lifetime all-clear. For new or worsening symptoms, see your GP or local urgent care.

Sources

• NHS. NHS Health Check
• UK National Screening Committee. Principles of screening
• The Health Screening Clinic. Health MOT packages
• General Medical Council. Medical register, Penelope Jane 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