Blood test without a referral

A blood test without a referral means you do not need a referral letter from your GP to have your blood tested. You decide which values you want examined, for example vitamin B12, ferritin, cholesterol or your thyroid function. You arrange the request entirely online, so you do not need to visit the practice first.

Without a referral does not mean without a doctor. In the Netherlands, laboratory testing is always requested by a doctor. At Bloodworks, our own medical team takes care of that request. Our registered doctors review your request, pass it on to the laboratory and interpret your result afterwards. The only thing that disappears is the GP's referral letter, not the medical diligence.

The practical difference with the GP route: at the GP, the doctor decides whether blood testing is needed and which values are tested. That makes sense when you have symptoms, but is not always fitting when you want preventive insight or want to follow a known value.

Without a referral you keep control: you choose the test, the moment and the location. You do not have to convince anyone either: no waiting time for an appointment and no conversation in which you have to justify your request.

• 1Choose your test. You pick a ready-made value package around a theme, such as fatigue, thyroid or heart and vessels, or you build your own test from individual markers. Not sure? The Complete Blood Count is an accessible starting point: in a single draw it shows how your red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets are doing.
• 2Receive your lab form. After your order you complete a short intake. Our doctor reviews the request and you receive your lab form digitally. With it you can go to the collection point.
• 3Have your blood drawn. You choose from more than 1000 affiliated collection points across the Netherlands, so there is almost always one near you. On the location page you see the opening hours and whether you book a slot or simply walk in.
• 4The laboratory analyses your blood. Your blood goes to a certified Dutch laboratory. The result is usually available within 2 working days after the draw.
• 5Result with doctor's interpretation. You receive a clear report by secure email. A registered doctor explains your values in understandable language and advises on possible next steps. If values are significantly abnormal, we proactively contact you.

A blood test without a referral is something you pay for yourself. In return, you know exactly where you stand beforehand: a fixed price, no subscription and no surprises afterwards.

The comparison with the GP route is more nuanced than it seems. If your GP requests blood testing, your health insurer pays the laboratory, but those costs count towards your compulsory excess (eigen risico). If you have not used it up yet, you still end up paying for the test yourself, often without knowing the amount in advance.

Blood testing at Bloodworks sits outside your health insurance and does not touch your excess.

What you choose determines what you pay:

• An individual marker is the most targeted choice, for example vitamin B12 or ferritin (your iron stores) when you want a previously measured value checked again. If you want several values, they are determined from the same draw: one visit, several results.
• The Complete Blood Count gives a broad picture of among others your red and white blood cells. That is a sensible starting point when you do not have a specific question yet and first want to see whether anything stands out.
• A value package bundles the markers that belong to one theme, such as Thyroid Function, Iron Panel or Fatigue & Sleep. Together those markers say more than they do separately: for the thyroid you see not only the signalling hormone TSH but also the thyroid hormone free T4, and for iron you look at the stores as well as the transport in your blood.
• If you want a complete check, Bloodworks Plus and Bloodworks Premium map several organ systems in a single draw: heart and vessels, thyroid, blood sugar, liver, kidneys, vitamins and minerals.

When comparing providers, look closely at what the price includes. At Bloodworks everything is included: the blood draw, the laboratory analysis, the doctor's review and the report. You never pay extra afterwards.

A blood test without a referral is especially valuable when you want targeted insight without an acute medical reason. For example:

• You want to know preventively where you stand: how your cholesterol, blood sugar, vitamins and minerals are doing.
• You want to follow known values over time, such as a previously established low vitamin B12 or a thyroid value you are monitoring together with your doctor.
• Athletes follow iron status, vitamins and hormones that can influence energy and recovery.
• People who eat vegan or vegetarian often have vitamin B12, iron and vitamin D checked, because a deficiency there can develop gradually and unnoticed.
• If you use long-term medication, interim insight into for example liver or kidney values can be useful, always in addition to the check-ups of your prescribing doctor, never instead of them.

Not sure whether blood testing is useful in your situation? Our doctors review your request at the intake. And if something comes up that needs follow-up, the report clearly tells you what a sensible next step is.

Your blood is analysed by certified Dutch laboratories, the same laboratories that also analyse for GPs and hospitals. The draw is done by experienced staff at the affiliated collection points.

Every result is reviewed by a registered doctor. They look not only at the individual numbers, but at the whole picture: your age, sex and the information from your intake. The laboratory is leading for the values used; our doctor adds interpretation and context.

Your result is yours. We share nothing without your consent, not even with your GP. Sharing is possible: the PDF report is set up so your GP can act on it directly. Your data is handled with care and in line with the GDPR.

If you already know which value you want tested, an individual marker is the fastest route. You find them on our website under individual tests, each with an explanation of what the value says and when measuring it makes sense. If you are looking for broader insight around a theme, look at the value packages under Tests: a composed package bundles the markers that belong together, so you can read them in context instead of as separate numbers.

Would you first like to see where you can get your blood drawn? Via the location finder on our website you find the affiliated collection point near you, with address and opening hours.

And if you prefer to read up first, also have a look at our guides on fasting for a blood test and reading your result, at the bottom of this page. In our health guide and blog you also find in-depth articles per topic, for example on vitamin B12 deficiency or having your cholesterol tested.