Leading medics have raised concerns about the growing use of unregulated, over-the-counter blood tests which promise to help users to "take control of their health and spot problems early". The tests, which can cost up to £800, are being sold as a product which can "predict how many healthy years a person has left", spot genetic abnormalities or screen for a range of conditions.
The British Medical Association (BMA) said that the increasing use of the tests was a "real concern for GPs" and can cause "real worry and anxiety" for patients. It comes after the British Medical Journal (BMJ) published an investigation which concluded that the market for unregulated private blood tests is "booming". Yet the journal suggested that some of the claims made by companies selling the tests are "misleading" and could be putting unnecessary burden on over-stretched GPs.
Dr Preeti Shukla, GP committee clinical and prescribing lead for the BMA, said: "The rise of private companies offering over the counter, unregulated blood tests that make dubious claims about what they can identify, is a real concern for GPs and their NHS colleagues, who are the ones who are often left to interpret results and reassure their patients.
