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If your child’s GP or hospital team has asked for a blood test, or you are thinking about a private check, the first questions are practical. Where can it be done? Will my child cope? Who sees the results?
This guide explains how a private blood test for your child works in Essex, at home or in a clinic. It covers who needs to come with your child, how to prepare a nervous child, and what happens to the sample afterwards.
Swift Blood Tests is a CQC-registered blood collection service based in Basildon. We take blood from children aged 6 and over, either at home across Essex or at our Basildon clinic, and we book longer appointments for children so nobody is rushed.
Not sure your child’s test is suitable? Call 01277 652067 or send us a photo of the blood form on WhatsApp. We’ll check your child’s age and the requested test before you book.
Is your child unwell right now? A blood test is not a medical assessment. If your child is seriously ill or injured, call 999. For urgent advice, contact your GP or NHS 111.
Yes. Children can have blood taken privately, but every provider sets its own rules. Some national providers only take blood from people aged 16 or 18 and over. Others accept children but ask for a doctor’s referral letter.
Before you book anywhere, check four things:
At Swift, children aged 6 and over can have blood taken in two ways:
In the UK, a child under 16 can agree to their own treatment only if they fully understand what is involved. This is known as being “Gillick competent”. Otherwise, a person with parental responsibility gives consent, and only one such person is needed.
Young people aged 16 and 17 are presumed able to consent to their own treatment, in the same way as adults.
Not everyone who looks after a child has parental responsibility. Mothers and most fathers do, but step-parents and grandparents do not automatically, according to the GMC’s guidance on 0–18 year olds.
At Swift, a parent or guardian should be present for anyone under 16. If someone else will be bringing your child, or your child is 16 or 17 and wants to attend alone, please call us before booking.
With a home visit, a phlebotomist comes to you, so your child stays somewhere familiar. Many parents find this calmer, particularly for younger or anxious children. It can also help when you have other children to look after, or when travel and parking are difficult.
To make a home visit go smoothly:
Our Essex home visits cover Billericay, Brentwood, Chelmsford, Basildon, Stock, Ingatestone, Thurrock, Wickford, Upminster, Maldon and Southend-on-Sea. If you live elsewhere in Essex, call us to check. A travel surcharge may apply outside our standard area.
Our home blood draw for a GP or hospital form is £40 per visit, and several tubes taken at one visit count as one appointment.
Some families prefer a clinic, where everything is set up for taking blood and the experience stays out of the house.
Our clinic is at Unit 7 Whites Farm, Barleylands Road, Basildon SS15 4BG. We’re open Monday to Friday, 6am to 8pm, and Saturday, 9am to 12pm.
Bring with you:
Neither option is less painful. The difference is the setting, and what suits your child and your day.
| Home visit | Clinic | |
|---|---|---|
| Setting | Your child’s own home | Our Basildon clinic |
| Travel and parking | None | Needed |
| Other children | Can stay at home with you | May need childcare |
| If your child is prone to fainting | They can lie on a sofa or bed | Tell us when you book |
| Sample to the laboratory | We take it | We take it |
A home visit often suits younger children and those who are anxious about hospitals or clinics. A clinic can suit older children and families who would rather keep the experience out of the house.
Ready to choose? Book a home or clinic appointment online, or call 01277 652067 to talk it through first.
A little preparation makes a real difference. These steps follow NHS and NICE guidance.
Tell your child in simple words what will happen, and don’t promise it won’t hurt. The NHS describes a blood test as feeling like a scratch as the needle goes in. Most children cope better when they know what to expect.
Older children and teenagers may want to ask their own questions. NICE recommends involving children in decisions about their care in a way that suits their age.
Local anaesthetic cream can numb the skin before the needle goes in. Your GP can prescribe it, or you can buy it over the counter at a pharmacy.
It needs to go on before the appointment, and the timing depends on the product. Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust lists about 30 minutes for Ametop and 60 minutes for EMLA. Follow the leaflet in the pack, and ask your pharmacist if you’re unsure. Don’t use it on broken skin or on areas of active eczema.
If you plan to use numbing cream, mention it when you book.
NICE suggests helping children use coping techniques that already work for them, such as:
If your child is very anxious about needles, tell us when you book. We’ll allow extra time, and you’re welcome to call first to talk it through.
Only ask your child to fast if the blood form, the test instructions or their doctor says so. The NHS advises that the person requesting the test should tell you if any preparation is needed. If your child does need to fast, they can usually drink plain water.
It depends on the route.
If you have a GP or hospital blood form, a clinician has already requested the test. We take the sample and send it to the laboratory named on the form, usually the same day. The results go back to the doctor or team who requested the test.
If you choose a private test, you don’t need a GP referral to book. A GP may take private results into account, but they are not obliged to act on them and may repeat a test. Read more in how to get a private blood test.
If your child has symptoms that worry you, speak to their GP first. A doctor can decide which tests are needed and make sense of the results.
NHS children’s blood tests in mid and south Essex are arranged by age and site, according to Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust:
| Area | Age | Where | How to book |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basildon | 11 and under | Basildon Hospital, Paediatric Outpatient Department | Phone 0300 443 0225 |
| Basildon and Thurrock | 11 to 16 | Orsett Hospital | Online through the NHS booking system |
| Southend | 0 to 3 | Southend Hospital, Paediatric Outpatients | By email, waiting list |
| Southend | 4 to 16 | Victoria Shopping Centre clinic | Online or phone 01702 746065 |
| Chelmsford and mid Essex | 16 and under | Broomfield Hospital only | Online or phone 0300 443 2336 |
Availability changes daily, so check the trust’s page for current details. A private appointment is an option alongside the NHS, not a replacement for it.
The NHS says a blood test usually takes about 10 minutes. A child may need longer to settle first. Your child may get a small bruise, which should fade within a few days.
Each tube is labelled and packed. Samples taken for a GP or hospital form go to the laboratory named on the form. Private tests are analysed by UKAS-accredited laboratories.
Children’s normal ranges differ from adults’ and change with age, so results should be read by a clinician who understands them.
Each test page shows its expected turnaround time.
Swift Blood Tests is registered with the Care Quality Commission. Every phlebotomist is DBS-checked, and private tests are analysed by UKAS-accredited laboratories.
Book a calm appointment for your child. Book online, call 01277 652067, or message us on WhatsApp.
Yes. Many private providers take blood from children, each with its own age limits and rules. Swift takes blood from children aged 6 and over, at home or at our Basildon clinic, either with a GP form or for a private test.
From age 6. If your child is younger, ask their GP about local NHS children’s blood test services.
Yes. A parent or guardian should be present for anyone under 16.
Most children feel a scratch as the needle goes in, and it may be uncomfortable for a moment. Numbing cream from a pharmacy and distraction can help. No one can promise a blood test will be pain-free.
Only if the blood form, test instructions or their doctor says so.
The NHS says a blood test usually takes about 10 minutes. We book longer slots for children so they have time to settle.
On the NHS, children aged 11 and under are seen at Basildon Hospital’s Paediatric Outpatient Department, and older children are usually booked at Orsett Hospital. Check the Mid and South Essex NHS page for current details.
If the test was requested on a GP or hospital form, the results go to the requesting doctor. For private tests, the results come to you, and you can share them with your GP.
Our home blood draw for a GP or hospital form is £40 per visit. The Children’s Health MOT is £160. Call us for the price of any other test.
Young people aged 16 and 17 are presumed able to consent to their own treatment. Please call us before booking so we can explain how the appointment and results work.
