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
Eye infections: types, treatment and when to see a GP
Red, sticky or sore eye? How to tell bacterial, viral and allergic conjunctivitis apart, when drops help, and when to see a Harley Street GP for £150.
Read guide →Chest infection: symptoms, antibiotics and recovery time
Bronchitis or pneumonia? Chest infection symptoms, how long it lasts, when antibiotics help and when to see a Harley Street GP for £150, with same-day X-ray.
Read guide →Asthma tests and inhalers: what the 2024 UK guideline changed
Asthma diagnosis and treatment under the 2024 UK guideline: FeNO, spirometry and the new combination inhaler. Asthma review with a private GP in London, £150.
Read guide →Ear infections: symptoms, treatment and when to see a GP
Earache, discharge or a blocked ear? Middle and outer ear infections, glue ear and when antibiotics help. Ear check with a private GP in London, £150, 7 days.
Read guide →Joint pain: causes, blood tests and when to see a GP
Joint pain causes from osteoarthritis to rheumatoid arthritis and gout, the blood tests that help and when it's urgent. See a Harley Street GP for £150.
Read guide →Health articles
GLP-1 overdose: why it happens and how to stay safe
Why GLP-1 weight-loss injection overdoses happen, the signs to watch for, what to do if you take too much, and how doctor-led care on Harley Street helps.
Read article →How soon after sex can an STI test pick something up?
How soon after sex does an STI test work? Window periods for chlamydia, gonorrhoea, HIV, syphilis and herpes, and when to test at our Harley Street clinic.
Read article →Missed the HPV jab at school? Adults can still have it
Missed the school HPV vaccine? Adults can still have it. Nine HPV types covered, three doses over six months, at our Harley Street clinic seven days a week.
Read article →Genital warts: symptoms, causes and which treatment to choose
Genital warts explained: what they look like, how HPV spreads and how creams, freezing and hyfrecation compare. Removal on Harley Street from £450, Fridays.
Read article →Erection problems and what they can say about your health
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 →What a raised PSA result means, and what happens next
What PSA level is raised? NHS and NICE PSA thresholds by age, PSA density and free PSA, MRI before biopsy, and doctor-led prostate checks in London from £349.
Read article →Low testosterone result? What happens before any treatment
Low testosterone on a blood test? Why a doctor reviews your symptoms and two early-morning blood tests together before any testosterone treatment is considered.
Read article →Do I need a cardiologist, a GP or just an ECG?
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 →My child is unwell: do they need a GP, NHS 111 or A&E?
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 →Which allergy test do I need: skin prick or blood test?
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 →When should I see a memory clinic about memory loss?
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 →Should I see a GP or a psychiatrist for anxiety or low mood?
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 prescriptions in London: how a GP review works
How a private prescription review works at 117a Harley Street: repeats, new medicines and existing controlled-drug scripts, each reviewed in person by a GP.
Read article →Can you see a doctor about perimenopause before a blood test?
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 →What happens at an HRT review, and when are blood tests needed?
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 →Copper or hormonal coil? Fitting, removal and 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 →AMH levels by age: what your result tells you about fertility
AMH levels by age in pmol/L and ng/mL, what low or high results mean for fertility, IVF and PCOS, and AMH testing on Harley Street: £150 plus £50 blood draw.
Read article →GP or gynaecologist: who should you see first?
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 testing in London: who qualifies, cost and what results mean
BRCA1 and BRCA2 testing in London: NHS eligibility, the Jewish BRCA programme, what positive, negative and uncertain results mean, and the £662 private test.
Read article →Weight loss injections: who is eligible, NHS or private?
Who qualifies for weight loss injections on the NHS under NICE TA1026, who can be treated privately, and what the £650 doctor-led Harley St package includes.
Read article →Does a full-body MRI rule out cancer? What the scan can show
Can a full-body MRI detect cancer? How often it finds one, what it sees less well, how incidental findings are handled, and what the Ultimate MOT costs.
Read article →When is the Elite health MOT 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 →Corporate healthcare or a health screening: which do you need?
Corporate healthcare serves employers and HR teams; a health screening is an individual preventative assessment. How to tell which appointment you need.
Read article →Visa, pre-employment or PEME: which medical do you need?
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 →What a pre-employment medical covers, and which package to book
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, and when to call 111 or 999
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 →Private blood test London: cost, referral and results
Private blood test in London with no GP referral: single tests from £33.75, profiles £124 to £420, plus a £50 draw. Many results in 24 hours, walk in 7 days.
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 or STI? Getting the right urine test in London
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 mammogram: does it hurt, 2D or 3D, and results
What happens at a mammogram, step by step: how long it takes, whether it hurts, 2D versus 3D tomosynthesis, and when results arrive. 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?
Who can have the free NHS Health Check at 40 to 74, which NHS screening invites follow, and what a doctor-led private MOT from £495 adds on Harley Street.
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?
Got an abnormal blood test result? A private GP review at our Harley Street clinic (£150) explains what the flagged value means and agrees your next step.
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?
Thyroid blood test results explained: TSH and free T4 ranges, result patterns, subclinical hypothyroidism, pregnancy and testing on medication. From £100.
Read article →What causes penile discharge, and when to get tested
What causes discharge from the penis? STI and non-STI causes, what yellow or clear discharge can mean, and how testing works at our Harley Street clinic.
Read article →What is a PEME medical? Tests, fasting and costs
PEME meaning, what a seafarer medical checks, whether you need to fast and how long it takes. From £450 with certification at our Harley Street clinic.
Read article →Why am I so tired all the time?
Why am I always tired? Common medical causes of constant tiredness, from low iron and thyroid to perimenopause, which blood tests help, and when to see a GP.
Read article →Kidney infection: symptoms, treatment and how serious it is
Kidney infection symptoms, how it differs from a UTI, when it is serious, testing, antibiotics and recovery time. Same-day private GP in London for £150.
Read article →Smelly feet: causes, best remedies and when to see a GP
Smelly feet (bromodosis) come from bacteria feeding on sweat. The causes, the remedies and pharmacy treatments that work, and when to see a Harley Street GP.
Read article →Hives (urticaria): causes, how long they last and treatment
Hives (urticaria): causes, how long they last, angioedema, antihistamine dosing and tests for chronic hives. GP £150 or allergy consultation £250 in London.
Read article →Why do I keep falling asleep during the day?
Keep falling asleep during the day? Excessive daytime sleepiness usually has a cause, like sleep apnoea, low iron or thyroid. See a Harley Street GP for £150.
Read article →Lower back pain: causes, when to worry and treatment
What causes lower back pain, why it can hurt on one side, sciatica, when to worry and what helps. See a Harley Street GP for £150, with MRI within a few days.
Read article →Parkinson's disease: early signs, diagnosis and treatment
Early signs of Parkinson's, how it differs from essential tremor, whether a blood test helps, and how diagnosis works. GP assessment on Harley Street for £150.
Read article →What to do for a headache, and when to see a GP
What to do for a headache: quick relief that works, why headaches come back every day, the signs that need urgent care, and seeing a Harley Street GP for £150.
Read article →Bacterial vaginosis (BV): symptoms, testing and why it comes back
BV symptoms, causes and treatment, why it keeps coming back and the 2025 partner trial. BV test £105 and private GP £150 at Harley Street, seven days a week.
Read article →Scarlet fever: symptoms, rash and treatment in children
Scarlet fever symptoms, the sandpaper rash, antibiotics and when children can return to school. Paediatric GP on Harley Street, £200, Monday and Wednesday.
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.
