Have you had a full body MOT on your health?
Posted by KoorbB@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 200 comments
As we all know, GPs are swamped and they don’t have the time to fully understand your overall health. Has anybody been to a clinic and had a full body MOT? Was it worth it? How did it positively effect you?
SampleTricky@reddit
My dad went to one in turkey 2 weeks before he died, they didn’t pick up a single cancer in his body and he was riddled with it. They told him to watch his cholesterol
CommandSpaceOption@reddit
I’ve been doing it every year since my late 20s. I’ve learned a lot and taken action to fix the issues that were identified early.
For example, the first year I learned I was criminally deficient in Vitamin D. I tried one supplement, but found no difference when I checked the next year. So I changed supplements to a much higher dose and I’ve got enough Vitamin D now. It’s made a massive difference to my physical and mental health.
A couple of years ago I learned I was short on HDL cholesterol. This isn’t too surprising because I don’t eat fish. So now I take a daily fish oil supplement.
I wouldn’t have made these two important changes without the feedback from the yearly tests. Also, they encourage me to be more regular with gym sessions and keep my weight in check. I know if I let myself go I’m going to get a disappointing report next time.
Overall I’d highly recommend it. I tell all my friends to do it if they can. Whatever issues you find, they’re easier to fix now compared to ten years from now.
KoorbB@reddit (OP)
Thanks. The lack of vitamin D is a great example of why to get one. Sounds like it’s been a game changer for you.
Salty_Horse_8467@reddit
Honestly it's not a great example. Everyone in the UK is presumed to be vitamin d deficient because of our poor sunlight, and it's recommended everyone takes a supplement between October and March to counteract this known deficiency. A lot of companies offering health checks are preying on the worried well. You're genuinely better taking good care of yourself and attending your GP if you develop symptoms, instead of going down an over investigation path. Good luck.
CareerMilk@reddit
Other than a number on a chart, have you actually experienced any improvements?
CommandSpaceOption@reddit
Rude
CareerMilk@reddit
Didn’t mean to be rude
CommandSpaceOption@reddit
It’s alright.
I have experienced benefits. With vitamin D supplements especially, I notice a decline in my mental health if I stop taking them and an uptick when I resume.
I gained a lot more muscle, but it’s harder to attribute that to fixing the lack of vitamin D. It could have been other changes.
I can’t feel the difference in HDL.
JennyW93@reddit
I used to work in preventative care planning, and did my PhD in brain MRI prior to that. I would hugely strongly massively advise against exploratory MRI if there are no clinically indicative symptoms - we all look extremely weird and have very unusual but totally benign things inside us that, once you’ve identified, tend to cause needless health anxiety and can be a nightmare for things like needing to declare to DVLA or for life insurance etc.
Good (and reasonably cheap!) things to check out are blood pressure, cholesterol, and HbA1c (blood glucose). Unsure of your age, but you should be offered a health check at 40 onwards on the NHS.
Worth bearing in mind that anything you find in private testing will need to be re-diagnosed via your NHS GP to get NHS treatment, so unless you’re able to go down the full care pathway privately, just keep in mind that it can get very expensive for minimal gain.
porridge-monster@reddit
Sadly no age 40 health check in Scotland
JennyW93@reddit
We technically don’t have it as a routine thing in Wales either, I don’t think. From what I’ve heard, the 5-yearly invitations in England are extremely hit-or-miss depending on the practice, too. From what I gathered from the prevention work I used to do (in Scotland, incidentally! Hi, miss you) is that you’ll not be routinely invited but you’ll have an easier time making a health check appointment once you’re 40 or over up there.
Not sure if England do this, but every time I’ve moved practice in Scotland or Wales, I’ve been offered a health check as part of registering as a new patient (I’m in my 30s, so that definitely isn’t part of any age-related screening programme).
chocolate_gal_001@reddit
Definitely hit or miss. I am 45 and live in England. Have never had a routine health check
Due_Ad_2411@reddit
Happened to me. Was on anti fungal tablets and liver tests were slightly elevated. Stayed high for a month so was sent for ultrasound. Ultrasound found my spleen was enlarged. Spent the next 4 weeks thinking I had lymphoma or something. Next ultrasound was fine and was put down to the fact I had Covid the week before my ultrasound. Liver levels are still slightly elevated, been put down to weightlifting. Apparently it can elevate LFTs slightly. This was 2 years ago now so if it was anything bad, assume I’d conked it by now
tunasweetcorn@reddit
This isnt necessarily true in most cases a private consultant can write a letter to your GP who can then refer for treatment on NHS or in my case approve continued private medical treatment paid for by the NHS itself.
Piankhi81@reddit
"Good (and reasonably cheap!) things to check out are blood pressure, cholesterol, and HbA1c (blood glucose). Unsure of your age, but you should be offered a health check at 40 onwards on the NHS."
If you sign-up for the Our Future Health study you can get things like your blood pressure and cholesterol checked, and they'll give you a £10 voucher:
https://ourfuturehealth.org.uk/
AutumnFP@reddit
They write your blood pressure on your booklet, but whilst they do take your blood for various sampling (inc. cholesterol testing) these results are not shared with you. They are very clear on this part when you sign up.
JennyW93@reddit
I believe the not sharing the blood results is a relatively new amendment as of about December 2024
AutumnFP@reddit
That tracks; I did mine in Jan 2025 and only BP (plus weight/height) was provided.
All the same, since they no longer offer this it's not a valid route for people to get a cholesterol check any more. I think bigger pharmacies (and most GPs) tend to have access to a BP machine at least.
PastafarianFSM@reddit
They gave me my BP and cholesterol levels at the appointment. This may have changed since my visit ( approx 12 months ago)
JennyW93@reddit
Good shout - I’m in this cohort and forgot about it!
betterman74@reddit
As an NHS Dr....the above is the advice I would give 100%
its_Tea-o_o-@reddit
I'm a doctor and I fully agree with this. Please please please avoid getting scans done without a good reason.
slowjoggz@reddit
Very interesting perspective. I'd not considered the implications on things like insurance etc. I've actually got a CT scan in a couple of weeks for an ongoing stomach complaint. I was actually going to change my life insurance prior to this but wasn't sure how far they go for a check like this. Obviously I would have been aware of the scan prior to changing life insurance.
RepresentativeWin935@reddit
Oh they will check. When you try and claim then deny the claim. It's always better to be upfront when it comes to PMI life and CIC. If in doubt, request access to your notes (I'm sure you can do it through the app).
I dealt with a guy have his bowel cancer claim declined as he discussed wind at a medication review.
JennyW93@reddit
For a brief period there, I worked in medicolegal claims and that properly put the willies up me in terms of a giving me a brand new perspective on how phenomenally easy it is for insurers to find reasons to deny your claims. Before that job, I also had no idea insurers routinely hire private detectives. They check, and they check hard.
clarificationsneeded@reddit
Does history ever "expire"? Or will this just-in-case ultrasound I'm about to have going to prevent me from being able to claim if I get ovarian cancer in 5 years?
JennyW93@reddit
History doesn’t expire, they can request access to your entire medical history - medical record access will be a condition of the insurance contract (although data protection laws exist so there are ways to object, but that would usually result in a refusal to pay based on them having incomplete evidence). Really hard to say what will and won’t be taken into account, but they’re much more reasonable with people who have disclosed everything (by reasonable, I mean more likely to honour a payout but also more likely to increase your premiums as a result of having undergone investigations).
No-Structure-8125@reddit
Yep. My therapist made a claim on someone else's insurance for a car accident once, as they'd hit her.
They fought back on it, and they paid a private investigator to follow her around. They had pictures of her getting out of her car to go to hospital appointments, and tried to say that because she could get out of the car she wasn't as injured as she was claiming.
It's disgusting the lengths they go to.
JennyW93@reddit
Had one case where a person relied on a mobility scooter because their traumatic brain injury left them unable to balance or walk any distance without huge difficulty. Insurer’s private investigator managed to get a photo of the person standing up in a shop from their mobility scooter to reach something from a shelf, and the insurers used that to argue the person was exaggerating their symptoms. It was really horrible. This person lost basically everything because of that injury.
No-Structure-8125@reddit
That's just disgusting. That poor person.
slowjoggz@reddit
Strangely enough bowel cancer is my biggest fear, as my father died of it last year. I have had several Drs appointments, an ultrasound, bloods, urine/stool samples, a hospital visit for potential appendicitis. I suppose I'm going to have to mention all of this.
bow_down_whelp@reddit
That's bollox if that stood. Wind is a common symptoms that the NHS is not gonna start scoping you for
Arbdew@reddit
I found a breast lump last year, got it all checked out and it was found there was nothing to be concerned about- got the all clear. I declared it when trying to get life insurance. Was turned down by loads just because I'd had investigations, even though I could prove it was nothing. I was honest about it as if I did have an issue at a later date and didn't declare it any claim would ahve been turned down.
Seems mad that I'd be turned down when I had proof it was nothing and yet if I'd done nothing about it, they'd have accpted me straight away.
CF_Zymo@reddit
A good take from someone who understands the implications of over-investigation.
It’s not all just about “my useless and GP just tries to save money”. But I guess that’s just an easier stance to take.
pajamakitten@reddit
Because most people do not understand biology. Most illnesses do get better over time and people's bodies sometimes just do weird things for no known reason. I think shows like House have made people think that either everyone has an obscure disease, or that benign symptoms are actually signs of a rare disease.
frikadela01@reddit
Can confirm, an ultrasound of my liver during pregnancy (i had Obstetric cholestasis) found a "growth" on one of my kidneys that started over 2 years worth of investigations, 2 MRIs, a CT and ended with it being a benign cyst that had gone by the time they went to biopsy it. Spent far too long thinking I had something like cancer and would have never known it was they hadn't scanned my kidneys to begin with (which they did for "completeness" apparently).
brainbrick@reddit
Just out of curiosity. If you have a confirmation of something from private gp, doctor or whatever. Is it enough to give it to nhs gp and speed up everything to 1-2 double checks? Or do you have to go same way as if nobody knows anything?
JennyW93@reddit
Most of the time: the same as if nobody knows anything - everyone in the care pathway has to be able to vouch for their decision-making, so the GP would need to order whatever tests they’d ordered if you’d just gone to them in the first place because they’re liable for the decisions they make and may not feel comfortable relying on information from a third party.
There are exceptions to this, like where shared-care plans are in place (maybe because you have a rare condition or unusual presentation and there’s a limited availability of local NHS specialists, or because there’s an agreement between an NHS trust and a private vendor for the private vendor do to certain tests or provide certain treatments), but these would usually need to be set up by going through your GP first anyway.
toady89@reddit
Agree, I had an MRI on my knee and one of the consultants picked up on a (benign) chondroid lesion that I’ve spent more than a minute thinking about since.
Isgortio@reddit
I had an MRI on my hand and wrist for suspected carpal tunnel, they said it was either really severe or it's just normal for me. They did a nerve conduction test which confirmed it has nothing to do with my hands or wrists, it's actually my neck/shoulders! Physio helped massively.
JennyW93@reddit
That’s really the big issue - I can’t really tell you from a single time-point image if it’s weird and a problem or if it’s actually normal for you. You’d need complementary clinical data and sometimes longer-term imaging (apart from for extremely obvious issues like a tumour or whatever).
I quite often get recalled after blood tests because my thyroid function isn’t right by the lab’s reference points. But it’s the same level it’s been my whole life and there’s no symptoms or additional clinical data to suggest a problem, so it is normal for me after all.
KoorbB@reddit (OP)
That’s a really good point about needing to be re diagnosed and the costs to stay private. Thanks.
JennyW93@reddit
The tests I mentioned you can order from an online pharmacy - quick and easy fingerpick test, report gets emailed back to you a few days later, and not a nightmare for your GP to pick up if anything is out of whack. Blood pressure check you can do at most pharmacies for free.
MoAsad1@reddit
How do I get one? Do I call up my Gp?
ukbot-nicolabot@reddit
OP marked this as the best answer, given by /u/dtheme.
^(What is this?)
dtheme@reddit
Had one more than once as I've a chronic condition which is now causing side effects.
If there's one thing I'd say to someone thinking of getting one it's "study every single test before you get them, and learn".
The above includes bloods and there is a lot of similar named tests that are different.
You also need to be conscious about your lifestyle, diet and any medication you are currently on.
Example: I was on new painkillers that were working well, however in my blood work my liver enzymes were up. I need the cause before going to the GP who agreed it was the painkillers, we switched and did the bloods 3 months later and liver was back to normal.
Same with my elevated LDL. I was drinking a lot of coconut milk. Doctor marked it as an area for concern. I told them it would be normal next time. I cut out the saturated fat. Sure enough next test was good.
A good GP is essential. Took me years to find one. I look at my scans before they do, ditto any consultant. Words like severe, or moderate only interest me and don't alarm me.
For anyone looking to do a full health check I think it's a good idea. But, I would avoid the private flashy clinics. Stick to the basis. Start slow and small and be prepared to do a lot of calm research yourself.
KoorbB@reddit (OP)
!answer
MisterSlippyFists@reddit
Do you think they want you to? I wish I could have one.
The fucking hypochondriac's we have, the people who have a cough and then watch a video on tik tok to tell them what it is.
Just being ordinary and going to the doctor's now does fuck all. I've got a list of problems, as a man in my late 30's I go to the quacks and it's like I'm being pushed back out of the door as I walk in.
They're not fucking interested in actually helping. They're just trying to get through their day and go home.
And given who they have to deal with, daily, same time wasting idiots. I feel for 'em
KoorbB@reddit (OP)
Exactly, which is why I’m exploring alternatives like private full body MOTs. All of the comments that have been left seem to imply it’s worth it overall. Just a shame it’s something we have to pay for on top of paying for the NHS.
makeitmakesense44@reddit
Yes, fairly recently actually. Not often sick, so rarely visit the GP so my logic was if there was something underlying I would not know in time. Done it on the NHS and got checked for Prostate, Diabetes, Cholesterol, BP levels, vitamins and more, quick and easy, would recommend. There’s some other things I wanted done that’d I’d have to go private for but the NHS gave me a great baseline.
KoorbB@reddit (OP)
That’s good to hear.
KitsuneKamiSama@reddit
You can have that done?
KoorbB@reddit (OP)
Yup. See the comments others have left.
thescouselander@reddit
No but I recently had a comprehensive blood test that I paid for privately. It was very revealing and highlighted a couple of issues that I've addressed and I'm feeling better for it.
dkb1391@reddit
Yeah, got a Nuffield one through work. Turns out I'm significantly healthier than I thought
BellisBlueday@reddit
My employer offers this as a benefit for over 40s through a private provider. Not done one myself, but know of people who have had actionable things come out like heart issues and diabetes, which could then be treated. It's about £1k to arrange yourself.
nostalgebra@reddit
GPs don't care about you when you are ill. You spend months being ill with barely any intervention. They have zero interest in preventative care bar a few leaflets in the waiting room
DocterSulforaphane@reddit
Not all of us have zero interest. Quite the opposite but sometimes structural issues mean it’s hard to implement
nostalgebra@reddit
I won't say how old I am but I've seen a lot of GPs. I've had issues that should have been diagnosed years ago but every GP I've ever known wants you out the door in 5 mins barely looking up from the computer. Don't get me started on refusing in person appointments whilst I went to work every day along with everyone in hospitals etc etc.
DocterSulforaphane@reddit
I’m a GP. Not every GP is like this. A lot are passionate about the job but struggle in a very hard system. I wish people had some empathy on this and researched before typing on a forum. The state of NHS Medicine is general is so overstretched and deeply demoralising for people like me who are trying their best in a stretched public system.
nostalgebra@reddit
I get it's overstretched. I get GPs are tired etc but the lack of empathy most GPs have for people is so frustrating. The work they do is so vital but it's just a constant uphill struggle whilst you're already really ill to get the help you need. Everyone I know has had the same experiences at some stage. This system just isn't there for people when they need it.
DocterSulforaphane@reddit
Like I said. GPs do care. The system doesn’t. Just please think before speaking and typing. It’s so easier to scapegoat and blame GPs. Imagine I said that everyone in your line of work was ____? It’s so demoralising to read this from the public and on media. Can you imagine how the constant negativity affects us?
nostalgebra@reddit
How typically dismissive. I thought long and hard after my grandad was repeatedly told he had a chest infection by his GP for 6 months only to later find he'd had lung cancer the entire time. I thought long and hard about the many struggles and shocking care I and many others have received at the hands of those with a duty of care. As you say you might be one of the really good ones but you'd be a minority. Most GPs use the phrase 'try this and come back in a month' for every condition no matter how severe.
DocterSulforaphane@reddit
Good luck and sorry.
KoorbB@reddit (OP)
Exactly. This is why I’ve made this post. I’m thinking going private for a full body mot to be preventative, as the GP can’t offer that.
getstabbed@reddit
I had a bad reaction to my medication a while back and got quite a lot of testing done at the hospital. It actually feels pretty good that they found absolutely nothing that required further attention. The tests they did could have picked up on a lot of potential problems.
Spent my entire evening there and didn’t get home until 1:30 in the morning but I’d say that’s worth it.
MDK1980@reddit
Really wish something like that was standardised. At least every X number of years, go for a full body check up. Could detect heart disease (still the number one killer in the world) and cancer long in advance when you still have time to actually do something about it. Would've come in very handy for me before I had the four heart attacks.
Car: mandatory MOT ever year for something you can easily replace if something drastic happens to it.
Body: just take two paracetamol and hope for the best.
Ok_Adhesiveness_8637@reddit
Your body doesn't weight over 1 ton and certainly can not propel itself forward at speeds of 100mph.
Car MOTs are for the publics safety.
Zaruz@reddit
I always make the comparisons to pets instead. Most pets outside of fish end up getting annual checkups at the vets. You get massively pressured into doing it, shamed for being a bad owner etc. But we don't do the same for ourselves.
Padlock47@reddit
Looking at a staggering amount of Brits nowadays, I’m not sure if we can still confidently say that.
If these bowling-ball shaped humans took a tumble down a steep hill, they might get just as much momentum as a car.
JennyW93@reddit
Wrote a separate comment about my own experience working in preventative care stuff. You would be stunned (or not at all shocked) at the absolute uphill battle I once had trying to get an NHS health board to approve blood pressure testing in a brain health clinic we were launching, because “what if we diagnose a ton of hypertension and have to start spending a load of money on anti-hypertensive drugs?”. Absolutely zero joined-up thinking that detecting and treating things early prevents massive cost and complications down the line.
Fundamentally, the NHS is a misnomer. It isn’t a health service, it’s an illness service. With the exception of a small number of screening programmes, they’re not set up to deal in preventative medicine, unfortunately.
pajamakitten@reddit
Because the NHS is all about therapeutic health, not preventative. For the most part, the public want that themselves. People would rather take a pill than exercise, eat healthily, get a proper night's sleep etc.
MDK1980@reddit
Absolutely agree. The adage "prevention is better than cure" appears to be totally foreign to the NHS. The millions it would cost them now would end up saving them billions in the long run, and would potentially put 3mil people back in the work force - who would go back to funding the NHS.
Instead, like you mentioned, the entire thing is reactionary by design.
OddlyDown@reddit
It’s not ‘foreign to the NHS’ though - it’s not actually their job to do most prevention - that’s Public Health England.
Should they be rolled into a larger coordinated organisation? Yes, but that’s not popular politically in these ‘the public sector has to be slimmed down’ days.
nikhkin@reddit
Driving a vehicle with a dangerous defect can cause you to kill people. It's not comparable to having a mandatory trip to the doctor.
GrimQuim@reddit
I had a scare about 2 years ago now, I lost weight which felt inconsistent with my lifestyle.
I went to the GP, they fast tracked the fuck out of me and gave me a full MOT as part of that, the GP when conducting it said she wished they could do them for all people at middle age but the cost on resource would be too great.
Turns out I didn't have anything wrong, I'd lost weight through muscle mass loss after an injury.
MDK1980@reddit
The ironic part is how much it costs them when something does go wrong because they didn't pick it up early enough.
NoLove_NoHope@reddit
It’s annoying how much the NHS ignores preventative measures in the name of cost savings. When actually in the long term it would likely save us more money due to the benefits of early detection.
IIRC Japan and Korea’s health systems are very hot on this and preventative checks tend to be fairly cheap. But of course, they use privatised systems which probably wouldn’t be popular here.
buttfacedmiscreant11@reddit
The NHS wants to be preventative - it's in a lot of policy documents and pretty much every local strategy will have something in it about moving to proactive models of care rather than reactive. But the biggest users of healthcare are those for whom prevention based measures are way too late for, and there's only so much resource to go round, which means we end up with a very short term and reactive model of health. But prevention measures take a long time to show results and funding cycles are generally short term (one financial year) and services get cut if they don't see results in that time. And on a wider scale most governments focus at most on 4 years as their longest timeline and so there's less of a political appetite to shift to that kind of focus.
BigOptrex@reddit
To be fair to the NHS, there's absolutely no shortage of messaging telling us to eat a healthy diet (and explaining what that is), drink less booze, stop smoking, exercise more. But many people, for one reason or another, don't do those things.
I'd certainly like to see more early cancer screening (because this is something that particularly scares me), but as a nation I don't think we take our own health that seriously.
NoLove_NoHope@reddit
We do have good public messaging, but we really fall down where it comes to getting people checked out and referred for tests.
We really need to get better with cancer screening. I always see adverts about seeing your GP if you’ve had a cough longer than a few weeks or if there’s changes to your stool. But then you go to the GP and they keep telling you to come back in a few weeks and in that time it might be too late.
Similarly, there have been some people that have set up campaigns with the aim of getting the NHS to test for certain types of cancers in women under 25. There have been cases where women had symptoms, had to fight to get tested but the labs refused to test the samples because of the rules. Sure, some types of cancer are less likely to appear in younger people but it does happen and it’s becoming more common with things like bowel cancer.
I have a friend from Japan that lives here now and she can’t believe how hard it is to get screened for things.
GrimQuim@reddit
We did talk about that too, the NHS would be inundated with underlying conditions it'd be obliged to treat that wouldn't have presented until much later. It's a pretty grim cost balancing act the NHS is doing.
TheCarrot007@reddit
It just the usual, change may criple us, kcik the can down the road responce. IE. nothing anyone wants but all we get.
Stuspawton@reddit
Well I’m not a car, so no
ChampionshipOk5046@reddit
Dangerous to do if there's nothing wrong with you.
Anything it picks up needs further investigation.
Lots of false positives.
It's a marketing ploy by unscrupulous people.
Doctors don't advocate these.
Ok_Adhesiveness_8637@reddit
I mean these are the exact same doctors that don't pick up someone living with leukaemia and instead blame the symptoms on COPD so yeah I'd sooner pay a few quid than have all my faith in the NHS local doctors thanks.
pajamakitten@reddit
Mate, I work in a haematology lab in the NHS and can confidently say a simple full blood count and film can distinguish the two. If we catch leukaemia late then chances are the person came in too late for us to do anything, sometimes leukaemia has no real symptoms up until the end. Even if someone did have COPD, there is no reason symptoms getting worse does not warrant a blood test that would have also picked up the leukaemia.
omgu8mynewt@reddit
What leukemia test is done in a routine health check?
Ok_Adhesiveness_8637@reddit
Going to a clinic and getting a health check isn't routine in the UK... hence the point of the post.
omgu8mynewt@reddit
Even if we did Amercan style routine healthchecks, or those that actors and athletes in the UK get for job contracts, it isn't for every disease/illness possible.
https://www.nhs.uk/tests-and-treatments/nhs-health-check/
Every diagnostic test gives incorrect results sometimes, so matching test results to patient reported symptoms is how many illness get diagnosed. Symptoms are matched to possible illnesses based on probability and family history - Doctor's make incorrect diagnosis all the time, and more tests might not help - they just give more and more information, many tests don't explicitly say what is wrong or what treatment you should get. Medicine is the most "artistic" science, relying on patients trusting Doctors, Doctors asking the right questions to encourage patients to give the most useful information, medical teams using layers of information to create a treatment plan.
That is why testing patients who don't report symptoms for every illness wouldn't work, and why rarer diseases are commonly misdiagnosed with more likely, more common diseases first.
Ok_Adhesiveness_8637@reddit
He did tell the doctor all his symptoms, he was just told it was COPD.
Until he was rushed into hospital to be told he was stage 4.
From copd to stage 4 AML when every symptom was blamed on copd.
Yes, we need to "trust" doctors...
The last time I personally spoke to my local GP I had a telephone call, where the doctor blatantly wasn't listening and told me to continue to take the antibiotics I was taking that I was showing allergic reactions to until she slipped up and said something that I caught out and questioned. Then she shuffled forward and started listening.
Yes... let's trust these doctors...
omgu8mynewt@reddit
Sorry that happened to you, it is horrible for sure. For sure Doctors need more time and less workloads so they can devote more time to every patient.
Modern medicine relies on diagnosing by patients reporting symptoms (differs patient by patient, and different people descibe stuff differently), tests (every test makes mistakes, some common tests are rubbish but commonly used, NHS Doctors are not limitted by cost when choosing tests but limitted by waiting times).
Doctors are the people trained to get the info out of the patients about their symptoms and weave together test info - there isn't a "better" way (e.g. AI) - it doesn't exist yet, it is being developed but the information is built from real cases with Doctors so it isn't a magic cure that will fix the way we diagnose people.
If you don't trust Doctors doing their best with limited resources and information, I don't think there is a better system for patient - it definitely isn't perfect and needs improvements, but it is the best we currently have. Modern medicine is improving constantly through better technology and reviews of past results and outcomes, stuff we can do now is even incredble compared to 10 years ago for many diseases on the NHS
freexe@reddit
It's part of the NHS recommendations for those over 40. Are you sure it's dangerous?
DimensionMajor7506@reddit
Well it depends how you interpret “full body MOT”. Just checking BMI, blood pressure, cholesterol, etc is fairly low stakes stuff that is testing for rather common conditions that can be easily and confidently identified.
But when you get into things like scans, more extensive blood tests, etc, that’s where it tips over into being “dangerous”.
freexe@reddit
The NHS Health check is nicknamed the midlife MOT on their own website
KoorbB@reddit (OP)
Hence why I’m asking to see if there are any traps, negative experiences etc. Which clinic did you use? Was there follow up to try to upsell you further tests or something?
louse_yer_pints@reddit
My GP did mine. Felt a bit run down and I've got an underactive thyroid so when they took bloods to check that I asked if they would do everything else just while I was there so got my red blood count, cholesterol, blood sugar. Turns out that for a very overweight 50yo in in pretty good nick. Who knew!
fuckedsince1991@reddit
Don’t want to hear the bad news and I’m only 34
SpecialistGeneral794@reddit
I got surgery abroad, went to a lovely hospital and they gave me a full mot beforehand, found a non cancerous liver mass, don't know when the NHS would have got around to finding that one, also they found I was low on magnesium and the nurse said I had lovely thick veins?? Not gonna lie I'll take any compliment I can get.
Fromasha@reddit
Yes, I had one privately through my work insurance. They discovered I had a liver problem, referred to a specialist who diagnosed an autoimmune liver disease, had a transplant 6 years later...
KoorbB@reddit (OP)
O wow! Thanks for sharing.
Tired3520@reddit
I had bio hacking done. Costs a fortune, but for me was so worth it. I had been ill for 18+ years. Tested continuously with nhs and privately and never got any answers. Went down the bio hacking route. A scientist looks at the results and guides you as to changes etc. The difference in my health after so long being so ill is immense and, for me, worthy every penny. It’s not a quick fix, but I’ve gained back 75% of my health and it’s only been a few months. They told me they hoped to see decent results within a couple of years. I took those test results to doctors at the nhs. They didn’t know how to decipher them 🤦🏼♀️
KoorbB@reddit (OP)
O wow! I’m not aware of bio hacking. I’ll take a look. I’m glad it’s working for you.
Scarred_fish@reddit
Yep, have my full MoT next week. Have had it yearly my entire life (since I left school anyway).
I realise being in Scotland means the NHS is a different beast to England, but are they really that far back nobody is getting their annual checkups?
KoorbB@reddit (OP)
You can request a basic MOT but I’m talking about the full works. I’m not aware that requesting this from an NHS GP is possible.
Scarred_fish@reddit
Not really sure what you mean?
The annual checkup is a pretty good physical examination, 7ish vials of blood for the various tests (sure it was only 3 or 4 a few years back) and the usual eye/hearing tests, and of course a review of any long term conditions (I'm diabetic, for example).
Short of an MRI I can't see what more they could do.
Zubi_Q@reddit
Wish we had a system like Japan, where you get a yearly health check up for free
YUNoPamping@reddit
Yes. Blood and urine test, EKG and VO2 max. It's worth it for peace of mind or to identify any problems early.
GlumTrack@reddit
ECG
YUNoPamping@reddit
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrocardiography
Loud-Butterscotch234@reddit
Waste of money - or at least I didn't get what I wanted out of it.
KoorbB@reddit (OP)
Can you elaborate? Why was it’s a waste of money? Was it because there wasn’t any follow up or just a bad experience?
Loud-Butterscotch234@reddit
Just felt like they were ticking boxes rather than actually looking for anything. Came away with no signs of anything - fine - but also no aftercare or improvement methods.
sprucay@reddit
No. It's an American thing where they have to pay for it. If you feel ill or notice anything then go to the doctor.
FitSolution2882@reddit
Why?
That'll just resukt in anxiety and being told there's a 40 million year wait on the NHS/no available treatment on the NHS.
KoorbB@reddit (OP)
Or it might give you some peace of mind and lead you to make some positive changes. Many people commenting seem to have had this experience.
FitSolution2882@reddit
And many are saying it wouldn't.
They can't even deal with the bloody backlog at the moment this is NEVER going to happen.
AhoyWilliam@reddit
I had a full bloodwork done due to feeling really fucking fatigued midwinter. Anyway so I had low Vit D and high blood sugar (pre-diabetic), and my liver function isn't right and has been ultrasounded now (it's quite fatty) so... I mean these things all tally with being fucking exhausted I guess?
Anyway I have a GP appointment to discuss the results of that er... in a month or so. And I need to get a bike, I miss riding a bike...
lyta_hall@reddit
I had the Bupa one as I get it through work.
It was okay, but I would definitely not pay for it myself (obviously that’s because I’m healthy and didn’t tell me anything I didn’t know already. I assume it’d be more useful to others).
DD265@reddit
I've done a couple (privately) with BlueCrest Wellness. Think I went for the first or second option.
https://www.bluecrestwellness.com/health-mots
In my case it was following something where I just wanted to check my body had returned to a happy baseline. Also, I am overweight, and doing one of these every year or two gives me metrics of how my health is (hopefully) improving as I lose weight.
MediocreEquipment457@reddit
I was looking into this recently . I reckon a trip to Istanbul might be the best way. I know there’s a lot of negative press about cowboy operations doing teeth and hair transplants over there but there are some fantastic medical facilities also .
A full check up testing for just about everything you can imagine will set you back around 1000-1500£ depending on the hospital you choose . Add another 500 for flights and a couple of hotel nights
-Incubation-@reddit
Tbf I've seen some for as cheap as £750, which includes ultrasounds, x-rays, bloods, urine tests, bone density and a host of other tests.
Just a shame that people are having to travel abroad to get medical care as even when there is something wrong, you're likely to be fobbed off or stuck on a purgatory-like waiting list.
Funny_Personality_45@reddit
I mean you can do some very very extensive health assessment in England but they can cost £10k and upwards. Or you can get pretty good ones that don’t include x-rays, dexa scans etc for £500 to £1000. I know of someone that is from Brazil and goes back every couple of years and gets very extensive tests for cheaper
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Same-Shit-New-Day@reddit
No. I'm 60 yo. I just ignore all the letters from the practice.
PleasantAbalone1851@reddit
Yes there's clinics in London that offer this as a service, also if you have private medical insurance, I believe they can offer similar too depending on your coverage.
I've read these types of services can sometimes take advantage of people worrying and they end up costing you a lot more than anticipated due to leaning on the paranoia.
For me personally, I had my full bloods done and I then worked on fixing anything I needed to fix over 6 months. Also incorporated more healthy diet choices over time and making sure to exercise properly every day.
It's made a world of difference and we consistently have healthy food which is now considered normal for us.
velvetpalm@reddit
I used to work at one of these clinics as a physiologist, quite a well known one. Most useful things are the blood tests and ECG, a lot of the other tests are bullshit. For things like heart rate variability, many people will get more insight by wearing an Apple Watch or a Whoop band. Most people who came in had private health insurance through work, but there were some people who desperately wanted help and were paying hundreds of pounds to be there. We just weren’t set up to actually help them, we needed them in and out within the hour which limited how much coaching we could do. We were there to quantify health and print out a report. It felt like a money grab and is one of the reasons why I left
Funny_Personality_45@reddit
I am very certain I work for the company you used to work at. I understand and agree with you partly. I agree that people with chronic conditions or those who are looking for lots of help should not be paying hundreds for a health assessment as half of it will be of no benefit to them. I do think that for healthy / healthyish people who just want to now they’re ok can definitely get benefit from the HRV stuff and the coaching time just to make sure they’re on the right track and as a bit of a nudge here and there without having to have loads of unnecessary clinical tests down. I have worked in a couple of different sites some in London and some not in London and I think the experience is very different depending. Out of London is much more of a relaxed setting where often you can spend a bit longer having an in depth chat on mental health, diet etc.
Funny_Personality_45@reddit
Also to answer OP’s question of are health MOT’s worth it. If you get it offered through work or insurance then absolutely even if you just want the clinical tests and do not care for the chat. However, the company I work for the most common types of health MOT range from £600 - £1000 and I personally wouldn’t pay more than £200 for one.
KoorbB@reddit (OP)
Interesting take on this. I guess it’s going to be dependant on the clinic as to the service you receive, time spent etc? I’d guessed the blood tests would be the most important which given how extensive they are, isn’t something the regular GP can offer. Thanks.
JonnyBhoy@reddit
I phoned my GP and asked for a full blood test when I turned 40. I have always knows I was high risk for developing diabetes and was indeed diagnosed.
I don't know when that would have been discovered otherwise, but likely a long time later when my symptoms became noticeable and lots more irreparable damage had been done.
BigOptrex@reddit
You could have got both of these checked at most pharmacies at pretty much any point tbh.
highrouleur@reddit
The only way I've been able to get into my doctor's surgery was an invite for a checkup because I'm over 40.
Lots of lifestyle questions and "stop smoking" which I know.
Really just want some help with a fucked knee and ankle which I haven't been able to get appointments for. Have got a blood test arranged but I'm not sure that's going to help really
Ok-Lack4735@reddit
This is a really interesting video on the topic from a cardiologist, thoroughly discusses lots of points made here as well as quite a few more, I'd highly recommend
https://youtu.be/BJ9soFmzYO8?si=HdUU2sUGi1hQBvsW
ThatGuyWired@reddit
Yes, in so far as bloods and stuff, but no scans.
After my wide was diagnosed with cancer, it messed with my head a bit, I went into the doctor's and said I needed to be checked for my own mental health.
Full bloods turned out I had an underactive thyroid, and my levels were quite serious, they called and started me on drugs the day they got the results.
Also had a colonoscopy for related reasons.
Being over 40 I get the yearly basic checkup stuff done too.
Upper_Push_5860@reddit
What GP is swamped? You can’t get to see a GP. Their waiting rooms are empty.
DocterSulforaphane@reddit
Stop reading the daily mail and understand the facts: it’s a little more complicated than that
Fickle_Hope2574@reddit
Wow been to every gp surgery in Britain?
CF_Zymo@reddit
If only this was actually true.
My job would be much easier.
ttfse@reddit
Maybe a quiet waiting room doesn’t tell the whole story. Practice list of 12,000. 150 requests for appointments today. 100 slots available at the start of the day.
TimeInitial0@reddit
Aww i love this post. Been meaning to do something like this especially as work reimburses costs
AttersH@reddit
I get an annual MOT via my private health (through work). It’s a two hour session. Bloods, height, weight, body fat, metabolic rate, smear test, mammogram (or prostrate if male). It’s not extensive but you get an hour with a nurse & an hour with a GP to ask questions or query any aches, pains or unusual stuff you’ve got going on! It’s a nice check in & I’ve been referred on for scans via the chat with the GP. Again, all covered under private medical.
rosa_sally@reddit
I got some blood tests to identify some deficiencies (as having loads of symptoms and just being ignored by NHS). Have since self supplemented for about 6 months and I’m such much better.
KoorbB@reddit (OP)
Brilliant. Good for you and glad it’s worked out for you.
takesthebiscuit@reddit
Yes I phoned my GP and asked for one, I’m just short of 50, my dad had prostate cancer. So I’m in the risk group
He signed me up for a psa and at the same time did a full blood work.
All good, I’m going to die but chances are it’s not today.
_FreddieLovesDelilah@reddit
I’ve been wasting NHS money and for years going back and forth whereas they could just refer me to someone who knows what the f is going on with my body.
KoorbB@reddit (OP)
This is the kind of situation I’m talking about and why I’ve asked if these private clinics that offer a full mot are worth it. If you can afford it, based off the comments, they are coming in fairly positive so maybe it’s for you.
Anonymous_Lurker_1@reddit
Because of family history, I get a blood test annually. I'm fortunate that my GP has never had an issue with doing this, and whilst I am younger than they would normally offer the test, I've had a test for the last four years.
Whilst it's not exactly a full "MOT" type service, I use it to monitor PSA levels. As well as PSA, it shows data for a variety of other things too.
Last time, whilst not too bad, my liver readings were higher that I'm comfortable with so I've abstained from alcohol since December. This would be something I would have been unaware of had I not had the blood test.
As it happens, I've got my blood test tomorrow - if it comes back better, I'll celebrate with a beer.
KarateGirl1021x@reddit
I’ve got mine tomorrow too! My liver enzymes and kidney function were slightly out of range last time. While I’ve made some improvements, I’m kind of expecting it’ll be bad again.
Anonymous_Lurker_1@reddit
I was high-normal. I'd prefer to be normal-normal.
Best of luck to you. Hope all goes well 😊
KoorbB@reddit (OP)
That’s great and an example of what a full body mot can provide. Thanks.
Anonymous_Lurker_1@reddit
Absolutely. The psa blood test, to monitor prostate issues, whilst obviously better than blissful ignorance, is apparently not the most accurate, so a week ago, I experienced "the finger test" for the first time.
That was... interesting.
All came back OK, but the doc still said if I wanted, he'd book me a blood test too. At the same time, he checked blood pressure and kidney function. All OK.
Five years ago, I would have shuddered at the thought of all that and more than likely flat out refused it, but with having seen first hand the effects of serious (and terminal) illness, I believe any stigma for such things shouldn't exist any more.
I'm all for being proactive when it comes to health.
jonschaff@reddit
Yes. They said my carburetor was broken and I should ease up on lubing my piston.
CabbageEmperor@reddit
I had a random blood test at 30 and turns out I am diabetic, who knew!
Home_Assistantt@reddit
As I’m now 59 I get a yearly full health check from work and in my opinion it’s well worth doing.
That said, I’m fit and active. Spot on weight wise, and don’t smoke or drink so I expected to get a good write up and I did. This includes blood pee and poo sample tests too so it’s a full work up and checks for pretty much everything.
I’ve not my next one in about a month
Pale_Slide_3463@reddit
Well there was some 18 year old going in for a blood pressure check. So I’m sure GPs could make room. Lol
MDK1980@reddit
Could've helped the 21-year old who was in my cardiac rehab group because he'd had a heart attack.
Pale_Slide_3463@reddit
Probably to late to check at that point
MDK1980@reddit
Not if he was 18 when he had it checked.
Pale_Slide_3463@reddit
You can go to any chemist or buy any blood pressure machine yourself. Especially if you are worried and any Gp would take your blood pressure if you make an appointment. Heart attacks randomly happen to a lot of people and it’s never caught. Your comment is trying make me feel bad it which it ain’t
18 year old can make an appointment for a blood pressure check I’m sure a doctor would do bloods for someone else who’s worried.
Helpful_Emphasis6063@reddit
Wow I'm glad my doctor was less judgemental than you when I had secondary hypertension in my teens
txteva@reddit
I did with Bluecrest Wellness as I could claim a Health MOT back from my work Healthcare scheme so it was effectively 'free'.
Was it worth it, not sure, most of the red's were obvious (weight etc), but I plan to do it each year so I have a benchmark for if anything has improved/got worse.
jesuseatsbees@reddit
I have them yearly because of a medication I’m on. It’s never found anything I didn’t know I had, but I’m only in my 30s.
Suluco87@reddit
Tbh I would just want departments to talk to each other or at the very least me. I'm supposed to have a yearly check up (long term need with tumor taken out of head) but can't get it done. I understand why as cancer comes first. Just frustrating.
fursty_ferret@reddit
Don't be tempted. The cheaper options are CT and deliver a (comparatively) enormous dose of ionising radiation. They're useful in a diagnostic setting when indicated but not when just curious.
You almost certainly won't get anything useful and to the contrary are setting yourself up for months of potential worry and further expense.
Eat healthy food, exercise every day, and limit your alcohol intake. That's free and will be far more useful than coughing up (sorry) £1500 at a private hospital. Though you can still pay me if you want to.
RepresentativeWin935@reddit
Depending on who you work for, you may find your employer offers them.
My husband was finally at work when his was being done (he's some how managed to book training courses or annual leave the last 3 times). One of his colleagues was diagnosed with cancer following the blood test section (elevated levels of something with a call via the office from the testing co that he was to go straight to his GP with the results).
Despite having worked in private healthcare, I've never been able to benefit from them!
emilyloula@reddit
I had one a years ago via BUPA through my work. They said they would call for anything urgent and the rest would be sent in the post. Few days later got my results back and all was fine but casually mentioned my diabetes (which I don’t have)
Called them in a panic and they had accidentally stapled a page of someone else’s results to the back of mine! This was before GDPR days
Eskimojudi123@reddit
I just did a Bupa health assessment. I probably wouldn't have paid full price for it out of my own pocket, but I had it as part of my work benefits. They did blood tests, checked blood pressure, weight, height, EKG. Nothing new or shocking came up, my blood test results were actually surprisingly good and it was nice to get that reassurance.
GlumTrack@reddit
*ECG
Eskimojudi123@reddit
Ah yes, thank you. Got my languages mixed up.
Pyriel@reddit
Yep, my company sends us in for one every 2 years. The last one was a 360 assessment with Nuffield.
Poo-on-a-stick posted in beforehand
2 hours of prodding, testing, blood tests, urine tests questionnaires etc. and I got a report
I'm overweight,(Which I already knew going in.)
Everything else is fine
Was it worth it. Yes, as I didn't pay.
IansGotNothingLeft@reddit
Yes, but it was forced. I was sent a link to book my 40yo "MOT", but the link was broken. I asked at the surgery and they said they'd send another, which they didn't. I gave up. A year later, I had a minor need to visit out of hours and they noticed my BP was elevated. I tested at home for 7 days as requested by the doctor and they immediately sprang into gear and booked me all sorts of tests.
So the answer is to have the doctor test your blood pressure... But the downside is that it needs to be high.
Pale_Slide_3463@reddit
Mines weren’t even that worried when it was 175/100 lol. So I would say it needs to stay high for long periods for them to worry about.
IansGotNothingLeft@reddit
Oh Jesus! Mine wasn't even as high as that! I can't believe they wouldn't be worried about that.
ToManyTabsOpen@reddit
I've only ever had three. One when applying to join the military in UK and two as part of Employers health insurance in France every few years. As I near middle age I keep think I should get another.
I wish we would do more, I give more attention to my teeth than my heart or my prostate. What I found interesting is not whether I had high cholesterol but that this is the baseline I am working with. Did it rise or fall, what direction am I going. etc.
ReplicatedSun@reddit
just booked one with bupa as i get it free with work, interested to see how it goes.
prawnhead@reddit
I did one when I had my first kid. They told me to lose half a stone and drink a few less beers. I was struggling to sleep at the time and haven't struggled since, I think they put my subconscious to rest now that I had a dependent and wanted to know if I was healthy or not. highly recommend!
wellimjustbrowsing@reddit
I think about doing this a lot. I'm guessing it costs. That's something I can Google myself though, really.
imokaytho@reddit
They give it for free if u tell them u think ur dying
MassiveHampton@reddit
Only the over 40 check, quite amusing to have some 5 foot 25 stone gelatinous blob of a woman telling me I’m a bit overweight.
Magical_Crabical@reddit
Yes, since being diagnosed bipolar 9 years ago I get pretty much a full health MOT on the NHS every year. This is because of the potential side effects of my medication. They check (AFAIK) lipids/cholesterol, glucose, organ function, weight, waist circumference, blood pressure. As far as they’re concerned, I’m far too fat but that’s all that’s wrong with me for now.
wafflespuppy@reddit
I have my blood taken every month due to the meds I'm on, that checks FBC, WCC, kidney and liver function. I get blood pressure and stuff done while I'm having my infusion. I figure that will pick up a lot of stuff 🤷 I'd like to have a full MOT as I'm getting older but it's not going to happen
Flaramon@reddit
Yes, but I was in Shanghai. For 25p, I spent 6 hours getting all the tests. Everything from a liver ultrasound to blood pressure, a prostate check and x-rays. It was the whole works - even came with a bag of lunch.
Yet, when I ask for a checkup in the UK, I get my blood pressure taken and told my BMI is high after waiting 6 weeks for the appointment. Our NHS is in crisis when compared to the rest of the world.
slowjoggz@reddit
No, but some colleagues recently travelled to Poland to get one done. Apparently much cheaper than here.
JoeyJoeC@reddit
I know a rich guy that owns a successful business who every year has a bunch of blood tests, MRI scans etc when he is otherwise healthy. Must pay a lot of money for the private healthcare but I'd probably do the same if I could afford to.
CF_Zymo@reddit
“Don’t have time to fully understand your overall health”.
What does that even mean?
KoorbB@reddit (OP)
As in look at all metrics which is what a private clinic would do, when booking a full body mot.
_ShredBundy@reddit
Yep! We get a free health assessment every 2 years. Not going to pretend like I know what I’m talking about but they do pretty much everything. I got a 13-page report sent to my email about an hour afterwards!
Monster213213@reddit
Yes. Mole checks, Full bloods, ECG, sleep study and brain MRI and lung function test this year.
Will aim to do the same every 3 years.
Winter_Parsley8706@reddit
I really need to get this done. How do I do it? Thanks
mr0regano@reddit
How do I get this? I have private healthcare through work but no idea how I’d get these treatments.
Garibaldi_1865@reddit
Would you mind sharing which provider you went with?
BabaYagasDopple@reddit
What were the total costs of this and did you bother with the likes of Dexa scans and other tests? I assume it was done privately?
ByteSizedGenius@reddit
No. I check my blood pressure, which is generally all that is recommended if you're <40.
dobber72@reddit
Hell no, I don’t need that kind of negativity in my life right now.
Robojobo27@reddit
It’s nit something my practice offers.
Glittering-Knee9595@reddit
It made me realise I needed to do more exercise, so I did.
So it helped me
hootersm@reddit
Yes, nothing particularly came out of it that I wasn't aware of but at least reassurance that there wasn't anything to particularly worry about other than the usual need to lose a bit of weight!
ThePerpetualWanderer@reddit
I have an annual checkup and blood tests via my private healthcare, costs me an excess of about £200 to have done. It gives me a little peace of mind but the reality is that they’re just scratching the surface for any obvious issues and there’s a whole host of things they’re not even touching - no urine test, no scans or X-rays, limited test run in the blood sample(s) etc.
I did try search to see if I could invest in a more exhaustive check up but never really came up with any viable options.
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