Knowledge Centre
Providing rapid medical guidance and expert health insights for informational purposes. Written by Harley Street clinicians to help you understand your health.
Medical conditions
Common Eye Infections
Red, itchy, or painful eyes? Discover common eye infections and get rapid treatment from our private GPs on Harley Street.
Read guide →Chest Infections: Signs and Recovery
Understand the symptoms of bronchitis and pneumonia. Get expert diagnosis, including chest X-rays if needed, and effective treatment at our clinic.
Read guide →Asthma Management and Support
Living with asthma? Get expert help with management plans and lung function testing (spirometry) at our Harley Street medical clinic.
Read guide →Ear Infections: Symptoms and Relief
Earache or discharge? Learn about inner and outer ear infections and get rapid treatment from our private doctors on Harley Street.
Read guide →Managing Joint Pain
Aching joints? From arthritis to injury, we provide expert medical evaluation and blood testing to identify the cause of your joint pain.
Read guide →Health articles
How Much Do Private Blood Tests Cost in London?
How much does a private blood test cost in London? Single tests start from £33.75 plus a £50 phlebotomy fee, with profiles and packages from £124 to £420.
Read article →Mounjaro the Doctor-Led Way: Who It's For and What's Included
Thinking about Mounjaro in London? See who qualifies, what a doctor-led service includes, and how in-person care differs from online prescribing. Book today.
Read article →GLP-1 Overdoses Are Rising. The Pattern Tells You Why.
GLP-1 overdose calls have risen 1,500% since 2019. Most cases involve self-administration errors and unsupervised online prescribing. Here is how a doctor-led service prevents them.
Read article →If I test the morning after, will an STI test show anything?
An STI test the morning after a new risk will not show last night's infection. Window periods by infection, what an early negative means and when to retest.
Read article →If you missed school HPV vaccination, Gardasil 9 still only covers strains you have not met
Adult Gardasil 9 protects against HPV types you have not yet met and does not treat a current infection. Who may benefit, and how testing and removal differ.
Read article →Genital-warts treatment choice: cream, GUM clinic or hyfrecation
Creams, NHS sexual health clinics and consultant hyfrecation do different jobs for genital warts. How to choose a treatment, and why HPV itself has no cure.
Read article →Erectile difficulty is a wider health signal, not only a bedroom problem
Erectile difficulty can point to the heart, blood sugar or medicines, not only to the bedroom. Why a GP checks cardiovascular risk before any treatment.
Read article →Understanding a PSA result: a raised number is not automatically cancer
A raised PSA is not automatically prostate cancer. Enlargement, infection and other changes can raise it. How a GP reads PSA with age, symptoms and examination.
Read article →A low testosterone number is not an automatic prescription
A low testosterone number is not an automatic prescription. Why symptoms and repeat blood tests are reviewed together before any testosterone treatment.
Read article →Cardiology entry point: consultant, GP, ECG or A&E
Severe chest pain is 999. A new milder heart symptom often starts with a GP. When to book a consultant cardiologist or a standalone resting ECG in London.
Read article →Paediatric GP timing: children's GP, specialist, 111 or 999
When a child needs 999 or A&E, when NHS 111 fits, and when to book a private children's GP in London for ages 3 months to 15 years. Age 16 uses the adult GP.
Read article →Allergy test choice: consultation, skin prick or ALEX3
How to choose between an allergy consultation, a skin prick test and an ALEX3 blood panel, and why a raised result shows sensitisation, not a diagnosis.
Read article →Memory clinic threshold: consultant, GP, psychiatry or A&E
Persistent memory change affecting daily life can belong with a memory clinic. When sudden confusion needs 999, and when a GP or psychiatrist fits better.
Read article →GP or psychiatrist: which Harley Street visit is yours
Low mood, anxiety and sleep problems can start with a GP. When consultant psychiatry, the memory clinic or emergency care is the right first appointment.
Read article →Private prescription review is a clinical decision, not a reprint
A private prescription review is an in-person GP decision, not a reprint. How repeats, new medicines and existing controlled-drug scripts are handled.
Read article →Do you need a blood test, a last period, or a referral first?
You can talk to a GP about perimenopause without waiting for a blood test, a last period or a referral. When FSH testing helps and when it adds nothing.
Read article →HRT monitoring is a clinical review, not a blood timetable
HRT monitoring is a GP review of how you feel and how the treatment suits you, not a fixed blood timetable. What happens at a review and when tests help.
Read article →Choosing a coil pathway: copper, hormonal, removal or replacement
Copper and hormonal coils do different jobs, and fitting, removal and replacement are separate bookings. How to choose the right coil appointment in London.
Read article →What does an AMH number tell me?
An AMH blood test estimates remaining egg number, not egg quality, and cannot promise a pregnancy. How to read an AMH result and what it cannot tell you.
Read article →GP gynaecology entry: GP, consultant, menopause, coil or smear
When a women's health concern starts with a GP, a consultant gynaecologist, the menopause clinic, a coil or smear appointment, or 999 and A&E in London.
Read article →BRCA decision: counselling first, not a same-day blood test
BRCA1 and BRCA2 testing starts with a consultation and pre-test genetic counselling, not a walk-in blood draw. What a result means and what it cannot replace.
Read article →Is a GLP-1 injection something you buy after a questionnaire?
A GLP-1 weight loss injection is a prescription a doctor may issue after seeing you, not a purchase from a form. How suitability is judged on Harley Street.
Read article →Choosing a doctor-led MOT
How to choose between four doctor-led health MOTs on Harley Street: what every tier includes, how they differ and why a longer test list is not always better.
Read article →If I pay for a full-body MRI, have I ruled cancer out?
A full-body MRI can show structural changes a blood test cannot, but it is not a cancer all-clear or a diagnosis. What the scan can and cannot tell you.
Read article →When Elite is the right upgrade
Elite is the doctor-led health MOT that adds gender-specific imaging and specialist input. When it answers your question and when another tier fits better.
Read article →Employer healthcare vs screening: two different appointments
Corporate healthcare serves employers and HR teams; a health screening is an individual preventative assessment. How to tell which appointment you need.
Read article →Choosing the correct medical: visa, pre-employment or PEME
A visa medical, a pre-employment medical and a seafarer PEME answer different forms. How to choose the right medical in London, and why to bring the letter.
Read article →Pre-employment medical scope is fitness for a role, not a private MOT
A pre-employment medical assesses fitness for a role against a package or the employer's form. How it differs from a health MOT, a visa medical or a PEME.
Read article →When to see a private GP
When to book an in-person private GP, when to call 999 or NHS 111, and when a health MOT, visa medical or employer form is the right appointment instead.
Read article →Can you get a private blood test in London without a GP referral?
Book a private blood test in London without a GP referral. Tests from £33.75 plus a £50 blood draw, many results in 24 hours, walk-in at 117a Harley Street.
Read article →NHS vs private STI testing in London: what is the difference?
Compare NHS and private STI testing in London. NHS clinics are free; private tests start from £68, and FAST packages give 6-hour results at 117a Harley Street.
Read article →UTI test in London: do you need a GP urine test or an STI screen?
UTI or STI? How burning, frequency and discharge differ, and who needs a urine test. A private GP visit at 117a Harley Street is £150, seven days a week.
Read article →Mammogram or breast ultrasound: which do you need?
Mammogram or breast ultrasound? A private mammogram is £245 and a breast ultrasound £450 at Medical Express Clinic, no referral needed, results in days.
Read article →What happens at a private mammogram, and what does it cost?
A private mammogram at Medical Express Clinic is £245, takes 20 to 30 minutes, and reports in 3 working days. No deodorant or talc; no referral needed.
Read article →How much does a full body MOT cost in London?
Full body MOT prices in London from £495. Compare Essential, Advanced, Elite and Ultimate tiers, what each includes, and results turnaround, at Harley Street.
Read article →Over-40 health check: what should it include?
The free NHS Health Check covers blood pressure, cholesterol and BMI for ages 40 to 74. A private MOT from £495 adds a GP examination, ECG and 60+ markers.
Read article →Essential or Advanced MOT: comparing the actual tests
Essential MOT (£495) covers 60+ markers, a GP examination and ECG. Advanced (£999) adds chest X-ray, lung tests, hormones and a year of GP access. Compare both.
Read article →Abnormal blood test result: what happens at a GP review?
An abnormal blood result isn't a diagnosis on its own. A private GP review at Harley Street (£150) explains what it means and what, if anything, to do next.
Read article →Visa medical: what to bring and how long it takes
Visa medicals at 117a Harley Street start from £325. Bring your original passport and any sponsor form; the visit takes about an hour, chest X-ray included.
Read article →STI symptoms but a negative test? What to do next
Symptoms after a negative STI test? Tested too early, the wrong site or a missing infection. What a Harley Street doctor checks next, and what it costs.
Read article →Thyroid Symptoms: Which Blood Test Do You Need?
Tiredness, weight change and feeling cold or anxious can have a thyroid cause. Which thyroid blood test fits, what it costs and when to see a GP in London.
Read article →The Evolution of Health Assessment: Why We Upgraded Our Health MOT Packages for 2026
Discover why Medical Express Clinic upgraded its health MOT packages for 2026. Explore our new tiers, including full body MRI and bespoke assessments. Book today.
Read article →Why Am I So Tired All The Time?
Constant tiredness can impact your life. Explore common medical causes of fatigue, such as anaemia or thyroid issues, and learn how our screenings can help.
Read article →Kidney Infections: Symptoms and Care
Learn about the signs of a kidney infection and the importance of prompt treatment. Expert care and diagnostic testing available at our Harley Street clinic.
Read article →How to Manage Smelly Feet
Struggling with foot odour? Discover effective home remedies and professional treatment options for bromodosis from our Harley Street doctors.
Read article →Hives (Urticaria) Guide
Dealing with an itchy hives rash? Learn about triggers, symptoms, and rapid treatment options available at our Harley Street medical clinic.
Read article →Excessive Daytime Sleepiness
Excessive daytime sleepiness usually has a cause: sleep apnoea, low iron, an underactive thyroid or low mood. A GP visit and blood tests often find it.
Read article →Ear Wax Removal & Syringing
Blocked ears? Discover safe ear wax removal options, including syringing and microsuction, performed by experienced professionals at our Harley Street clinic.
Read article →Lower Back Pain Guide
Suffering from lower back pain? Explore common causes and learn about diagnostic and treatment options available at Medical Express Clinic on Harley Street.
Read article →Parkinson's Disease Overview
Learn about the early signs of Parkinson's disease and the importance of specialist neurological review. Expert care and support on Harley Street.
Read article →Headache Relief and Overall Health
Chronic headaches? Learn how your overall health impacts headache frequency and discover preventive strategies from our Harley Street clinical team.
Read article →Genital Warts: Causes, Symptoms & Treatment
Concerned about unusual growths? Learn about genital warts (HPV), transmission, and treatment options like cryotherapy at our Harley Street clinic. Book now.
Read article →Bacterial Vaginosis (BV): Causes, Symptoms & Treatment
Struggling with vaginal odour? Learn about Bacterial Vaginosis (BV), symptoms, and treatment available at our Harley Street clinic. Expert gynaecological care.
Read article →Scarlet Fever: Symptoms and Treatment
Concerned about scarlet fever? Learn about the symptoms, including the characteristic rash, and get rapid treatment for your child at our London clinic.
Read article →Need personalised advice?
While our guides provide general information, nothing replaces a professional medical consultation. Our private GPs are available 7 days a week.
