Covid-19 rt-PCR Testing

Our private covid tests are priced depending on the speed at which you need your results. 

Ultra Rapid Testing: Results within 90 minutes: £395

Ultra Rapid Testing: Results within 5 hours: £295

Same Day Testing: Results within 24 hours: £195

Next Day Testing: Results within 48 hours: £95

Yes, you can change your private covid test free of charge or cancel for a full refund as long as you do so with more than 24 hours notice.

There is a 50% cancellation charge for any cancellation made with less than 24 hours notice. We are not able to make changes or refunds after you have taken the test. To change or cancel your test, please contact info@fleetstreetclinic.com

 If you are wanting to book an in-clinic private covid test you can use our online booking system. Simply select the turnaround speed you need and the date and time you’d like to come in.

If you have multiple tests to book or an urgent deadline, you can call us on 02073535678 to discuss your options.

Two of our testing options deliver same day results.

Our ultra rapid testing guarantees results within 90 minutes of your appointment or when your sample arrives back to the clinic, if taken outside of the clinic.

Our same day testing guarantees results within 24 hours. We call this same day testing, however, please note most test results are delivered within 24 hours of your appointment or when your sample arrives back to the clinic, if taken outside of the clinic.

For those with extremely urgent private covid test requests, please call reception to discuss how we can help you. We will try to accommodate where we can.

It stands for “real time reverse transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction”. It is a highly sensitive method of detecting viral genetic molecules, and a simple technical explanation is as follows.  The coronavirus genome is stored in molecules called RNA. The technique uses an enzyme to “reverse transcribe” RNA into DNA, and then to make many copies of any resulting DNA molecules that are an exact match with unique “target” sections of the coronavirus genome, to the point where they can be detected.

A throat and nasal sample is required. It will be taken by a nurse, a doctor, or by yourself at home under our guidance (via video call). The sample will then be analysed using a PCR machine. The PCR test works by detecting the genetic material of a virus at a molecular level. It can identify not just COVID-19, but also influenza, common cold viruses and other causes of respiratory infection from the same sample. This means it can pinpoint the exact cause of your symptoms. PCR testing can confirm or rule out an active Coronavirus (Covid-19) infection.

If you would like to book your private covid test online, you can simply go through the short process of our online booking system for every member of your party. You will need personal details for each member of your party and make payment to complete the booking.

Alternatively, you can email or call us to book them all the private covid tests at the same time. We will still require details about each member of your party and pre-payment over the phone to complete your booking.

Each private covid test comes with a valid “Fit to Travel” certificate generated at Fleet Street Clinic. It will be a headed document and include the signature and GMC number of our medical director, Dr Richard Dawood.

Private Covid-19 rt-PCR & lateral flow tests are valid for travel purposes and are the most commonly accepted coronavirus tests.

Our rt-PCR tests can be booked with 4 different turnaround times; 90 minutes, 2-5 hours, 24 hours and 48 hours.

Click for more information on Covid-19 Pre-travel Tests.

Each country and airline has slightly different requirements for Covid-19 testing. Many require a test no more than 72 hours before arrival into the country but some are 48 hours. Please check the government’s foreign travel advice for your destination before booking your test to see what is required for your destination.

We provide a full medical service, not just the sample analysis. Our end-to-end service includes: taking the sample, the testing itself, helping to interpret the result for you, and providing full documentation. If necessary, we will also liaise with your employer, your airline or your travel company. If you have a positive result we will notify public health authorities. We will also provide you with guidance on isolation and any additional measures or precautions that may be needed.

We are often asked this question by people who have been tested elsewhere. The usual problem is they haven’t received their results in time for their flight. Our fastest system can deliver results in just 65 minutes. This is from when the sample is loaded into the machine. We may already have samples lined up for testing. So, we always need a little more time than this to turn things around.

If your result is needed very urgently, please explain this when booking your appointment and we’ll give it top priority.

A PCR test requires a swab sample from the throat and nose. The swab looks like a long “cotton bud”. The swab is touched against the back of the throat, and the inside of the nose. If a person is shedding virus, infected cells and viral particles are trapped on the fibres of the swab, ready for analysis. 

Coronavirus rt-PCR tests cannot be performed on a blood sample. Covid-19 blood tests detect antibodies, which the body produces in response to a Covid-19 infection. Therefore, the presence of antibodies denotes past infection not active infection. Whereas PCR tests detect current infection collecting a sample of live virus from the nose and throat.

The majority of people test positive on PCR by Day 5 or Day 6 following exposure to an infected case. However, in some cases it can take up to 14 days for a person to develop Covid-19 symptoms. This is why there is a self-isolation period of 14 days following contact with a Covid-positive person.

The equipment and consumables are expensive and in very short supply worldwide. For this reason, we cannot rely on a single system. Maintenance and unavailable consumables are unpredictable. Therefore, we have committed to multiple systems. This guarantees we can keep to deadlines, avoid delays, and deliver results whenever we promise too. Unfortunately, this carries a high cost.

Yes – our PCR equipment detects regions of the coronavirus genome that are conserved amongst all of the currently identified variants of COVID-19.

Our testing systems are continuously monitored to ensure they continue to cover any new variants of the COVID-19 virus.

Yes – our PCR equipment detects regions of the coronavirus genome that are conserved amongst all of the currently identified variants of COVID-19, including the Omicron variant.

Our testing systems are continuously monitored to ensure they continue to cover any new variants of the COVID-19 virus.

PCR tests require the swab to collect a sample from the back of the throat and nose – for this reason it can be a little uncomfortable, however our members of staff are highly trained and are as gentle as possible to ensure minimal discomfort. 

Yes. A PCR test can accurately detect the presence of Covid-19, whether you are displaying symptoms or not. However, if you are displaying symptoms, we ask that you do not come into the clinic and order a home test instead, which will allow for you to be tested safely from a distance. Call our reception team to order a home testing kit: 020 7353 5678