Private Liver Function Test (LFT): £40, results in 24 hours
Eight liver markers from one blood sample, £40
Eight blood markers that show how your liver is coping: the liver enzymes ALT, AST, ALP and GGT, bilirubin, albumin and the blood proteins. Reviewed by a doctor, with results emailed within 24 hours. No fasting and no GP referral needed. Have your blood taken at our Kings Heath clinic in Birmingham with no blood-draw fee, at one of 100+ partner clinics across the UK, or at home.
Includes: all 8 markers, the lab fee, a doctor’s review of your results and a written report by email, usually within 24 hours. Nothing to pay on the day at the Birmingham clinic.
Book a liver function test online- No referral needed
- No fasting
- Results in 24 hours
- Doctor-reviewed
- CQC-registered clinic
What a liver function test checks
A liver function test, often written LFT or “liver profile”, is one blood sample tested for eight things. The name is slightly misleading: most of the markers measure liver damage or irritation rather than function, and they are read together as a pattern rather than one at a time.
- ALT/GPT an enzyme inside liver cells. It leaks into the blood when the cells are irritated or damaged, so a raised ALT is the most direct sign of liver inflammation, most often from fatty liver, alcohol, a medicine or a virus.
- AST/GOT a second liver enzyme, also found in muscle and heart. Read with ALT: the ratio between the two helps point towards alcohol, fatty liver or another cause.
- Alkaline phosphatase an enzyme from the bile ducts and bone. A rise suggests a bile-flow problem (gallstones, some medicines) or, with a normal GGT, a bone cause.
- Gamma GT the enzyme most sensitive to alcohol and to some medicines. It also rises with bile-duct problems, which is how it separates a liver ALP rise from a bone one.
- Total bilirubin the yellow pigment the liver clears from old red blood cells. High levels cause jaundice. A mildly raised bilirubin with everything else normal is often Gilbert’s syndrome, which is harmless.
- Albumin the main protein the liver makes. A low albumin points to a liver that has been under strain for months, or to kidney, gut or nutritional problems.
- Total protein albumin plus globulin together. Read alongside the two separately.
- Globulin the other blood proteins, including antibodies. Raised in long-term inflammation and some immune conditions.
When to have one
Liver problems rarely cause symptoms until they are advanced, which is why most abnormal results are found on a routine test. A liver function test is worth having if any of these apply:
- You drink more than you would like to, or more than 14 units a week, and want to know whether it is affecting your liver
- You are carrying extra weight, have type 2 diabetes or pre-diabetes, or have been told you may have fatty liver
- You take a medicine that needs liver monitoring: statins, methotrexate, antifungals, some antibiotics, anti-epileptics, isotretinoin or anabolic steroids
- You have symptoms that can come from the liver: tiredness, nausea, pain or fullness under the right ribs, itching, dark urine, pale stools, or yellowing of the skin or eyes
- A previous result was abnormal and you want it repeated, or your GP has suggested a recheck
- You want a baseline as part of a general health check, or before starting a weight-loss injection, a new supplement regime or a training programme
What happens
- Book online and choose where to have your blood taken: the Kings Heath clinic, a partner clinic near you or a home visit. Pay once; there is nothing to pay on the day.
- Give one small blood sample. It takes a few minutes. No fasting is needed for this test.
- The lab runs all eight markers at a UKAS-accredited laboratory, usually overnight.
- A doctor reviews your results and emails you a written report, usually within 24 hours, with each result against the normal range and a comment on anything outside it.
- If something needs following up, the report says what and why. You can book the next test or a GP appointment online, and we write to your NHS GP with your consent.
How to prepare
- No fasting. Eat and drink normally and take your usual medicines.
- Avoid alcohol for 24 hours before the test, and tell us your usual weekly intake. A heavy session can raise GGT and AST for several days, so a result taken straight after a weekend is not a fair picture.
- Avoid strenuous exercise the day before. Hard training raises AST, which comes from muscle as well as liver.
- Bring a list of medicines and supplements, including herbal products and protein or creatine supplements, as several affect the results.
Where to have your blood taken
The test, the laboratory and the doctor’s report are the same wherever you live. Only the blood-draw fee differs, and it is charged once per visit however many tests you add.
Want more from the same sample? Add a full blood count, kidney function or cholesterol and HbA1c and the blood is taken once, with the multi-test discount applied at checkout.
Normal ranges and what a high result means
| Marker | Typical adult range |
|---|---|
| ALT | 10 to 50 U/L |
| AST | 10 to 40 U/L |
| Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) | 30 to 130 U/L |
| Gamma GT (GGT) | 10 to 70 U/L (lower in women) |
| Total bilirubin | up to 21 µmol/L |
| Albumin | 35 to 50 g/L |
| Total protein | 60 to 80 g/L |
| Globulin | 20 to 35 g/L |
Typical adult ranges. Every laboratory sets its own, which can differ slightly from these, and your report shows the range the lab used. A result just outside the range is common and is read against the whole pattern, not on its own.
Most mildly abnormal liver results are not serious, and the commonest causes in the UK are fatty liver and alcohol, both of which improve with changes you can make. The pattern decides the next step: raised ALT and AST point to the liver cells (fatty liver, alcohol, a medicine or a virus); raised ALP and GGT point to the bile ducts; a low albumin suggests longer-term strain. These are the tests we add when a result needs explaining, all bookable at the same clinic:
Questions people ask
What is a liver function test and what does it show?
A liver function test is a blood test that measures eight markers: the liver enzymes ALT, AST, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and gamma GT (GGT), bilirubin, albumin, total protein and globulin. Read together they show whether the liver cells are inflamed or damaged, whether bile is draining normally and whether the liver is making its proteins. It is the standard first test for fatty liver, alcohol-related liver strain, the effect of medicines and viral hepatitis.
Which blood tests check liver function?
The standard panel is the liver function test itself (ALT, AST, ALP, GGT, bilirubin, albumin, total protein and globulin). If a result is abnormal the next tests are a fatty liver panel (liver markers plus glucose, HbA1c, cholesterol and ferritin), a hepatitis A, B and C screen, a fibrosis marker such as P3NP, carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT) for sustained heavy drinking, and liver autoantibodies. A liver ultrasound is arranged when the blood results suggest it.
How much does a private liver function test cost?
£40 at OneMedicine, which includes the laboratory fee, a doctor’s review and a written report by email. There is no blood-draw fee at our Birmingham clinic. At a partner clinic elsewhere in the UK the blood-draw fee is £29, and a home visit in England is £60, charged once per visit however many tests you have.
Do I need to fast before a liver function test?
No. Eat and drink normally and take your usual medicines. Avoid alcohol for 24 hours and hard exercise the day before, as both can raise the enzymes temporarily. If you are adding a cholesterol or glucose test to the same sample, fasting for those is optional and your report will say whether the sample was fasted.
How long should I abstain from alcohol before a liver function test?
Twenty-four hours is enough to remove the effect of a single drinking session on the result. GGT, the alcohol-sensitive marker, reflects your drinking over the previous two to six weeks, so a longer gap does not give a “clean” result and you do not need one: the test is most useful when it shows your liver as it usually is. Tell us your typical weekly intake and the doctor reads the result against it.
What does a high or elevated liver function test mean?
It depends which markers are raised and by how much. A mildly raised ALT or GGT, which is the commonest finding, is usually fatty liver, alcohol or a medicine, and often improves within three months of changes. Raised ALP with GGT points to the bile ducts, for example gallstones. A raised bilirubin alone is usually Gilbert’s syndrome, which is harmless. Results several times the upper limit, or a low albumin, need prompt follow-up. Your report explains the pattern in your results and what to do next.
How can I improve my liver function test results?
For fatty liver and alcohol-related changes, the two commonest causes, the enzymes usually fall within three months when you cut alcohol to within 14 units a week or stop, lose 5 to 10% of your body weight if you are overweight, do 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week and avoid sugary drinks. Review supplements and over-the-counter medicines with a doctor, as several raise liver enzymes. Repeat the test after three months to confirm the change. If the cause is a virus, a medicine you need, or an autoimmune condition, it needs treating rather than lifestyle change alone.
How long do liver function test results take?
Results are usually emailed within 24 hours of the sample reaching the lab, often the next morning for a sample taken at the Birmingham clinic. Samples from partner clinics and home visits are couriered to the same laboratory and typically take one to two working days.
Can I have a liver function test near me if I am not in Birmingham?
Yes. Book online, enter your postcode and we show the nearest of 100+ partner clinics across the UK, or choose a home visit anywhere in England. The test, the laboratory and the doctor’s report are the same; only the blood-draw fee differs.
Does a normal liver function test mean my liver is healthy?
A normal result makes significant liver inflammation unlikely, but early fatty liver and early scarring (fibrosis) can be present with normal enzymes. If you have risk factors such as type 2 diabetes, obesity or long-term heavy drinking, the fatty liver panel and the fibrosis marker give a fuller picture, and your doctor may suggest an ultrasound.
Read more
- Your Liver Function Test Explained
- Fatty Liver Disease: What Blood Tests Show
- Advanced Liver Testing: Checking for Fibrosis
- The NAFLD Fatty Liver Panel Explained
OneMedicine, 1 High Street, Kings Heath, Birmingham B14 7AR. Opposite Kings Heath railway station, on-site parking. CQC-registered.
