A private liver function test (LFT) costs £25–£60 as a standalone panel, and is included in most general health screens from around £40. It measures liver enzymes and proteins — ALT, AST, ALP, GGT, bilirubin and albumin — with results in 2–4 working days. It's a reasonable check if you drink regularly, take long-term medication, or carry fatty liver risk factors.
- ✓Standalone LFTs: £25–£60; included in most general blood panels from around £40.
- ✓Liver disease is usually silent until late — enzymes can flag trouble years before symptoms.
- ✓Mildly abnormal LFTs are common and often reversible; they need a GP follow-up, not panic.
What a private liver function test costs
LFTs are among the cheapest private blood tests going, because they're a standard automated panel every lab runs constantly. You can buy them standalone or — more commonly — get them inside a broader screen, which is often better value if you're checking general health anyway:
| Option | Typical price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Standalone liver function panel | £25–£60 | ALT, AST, ALP, GGT, bilirubin, albumin, total protein |
| Within a general blood panel | £40–£100 | LFTs plus kidney function, cholesterol, blood count and more |
| Within a full health MOT | £100–£300+ | LFTs as one line of a wide screen — see our health MOT guide |
| Add-on: venous draw | +£25–£40 | Clinic or home phlebotomy instead of finger-prick |
| Follow-up liver ultrasound if needed | £150–£350 | The usual next step for persistently abnormal results |
Most kits are finger-prick with results in 2–4 working days; LFT analytes generally travel acceptably in capillary samples, though a venous draw remains the more dependable option if a result will be acted on. Choose a provider using a UKAS-accredited laboratory.
What LFTs actually measure
"Liver function test" is a slight misnomer — the panel mostly measures enzymes that leak from liver cells when they're irritated or damaged, plus a couple of genuine function markers. Roughly:
- ALT and AST. Enzymes released by inflamed or damaged liver cells — the headline numbers. Raised levels suggest the liver is under stress from fat, alcohol, viruses or medication.
- ALP and GGT. Enzymes associated with the bile ducts. GGT in particular rises with regular alcohol use and fatty liver.
- Bilirubin. The pigment behind jaundice; raised levels can reflect liver or bile duct problems — or the harmless inherited quirk Gilbert's syndrome, present in around 1 in 20 people.
- Albumin and total protein. Proteins the liver manufactures — genuine measures of how well it's performing its job, usually only reduced in significant disease.
Two honest limits. First, LFTs are a smoke alarm, not a full inspection: normal results make significant liver disease less likely but don't exclude it — some scarred livers keep normal enzymes, which is why doctors add other tools (like the FIB-4 score or a FibroScan) where risk is high. Second, mildly raised results are extremely common and often trivial — recent alcohol, a viral illness, vigorous exercise or common medications can all nudge enzymes up temporarily.
Who has good reason to test
Liver disease's defining cruelty is silence: it typically causes no symptoms until it's advanced, and deaths from liver disease in the UK have risen for decades while most other big killers have fallen. That silence is the case for occasional checking if you carry risk — not annual anxiety, but a periodic look where one of these applies:
- Regular drinking. Consistently above the 14-units-a-week guideline — or honest doubt about what your total really is. GGT and ALT respond to alcohol, and improvement on re-test after cutting down is genuinely motivating.
- Fatty liver risk. Overweight, type 2 diabetes or pre-diabetes, high blood pressure or cholesterol. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease affects roughly 1 in 5 UK adults and is now the commonest cause of abnormal LFTs.
- Long-term medication. Statins, methotrexate, some antibiotics, antifungals and anti-epileptics can affect the liver — prescribers often monitor LFTs anyway, but gaps happen, and it's a fair self-check between reviews.
- Supplements and herbal products. Bodybuilding supplements and some herbal remedies are a regularly underestimated cause of liver injury.
- A previous abnormal result you never followed up — closing that loop is worth £30 of anyone's money.
Want abnormal results investigated within days?
What happens if results are abnormal
First, don't panic — and don't over-interpret. Mildly raised LFTs are one of the commonest findings in all of medicine, and the majority reflect something reversible: alcohol, weight, a passing infection, a medication effect. The standard first step for a mild abnormality with no symptoms is simply a repeat test in 1–3 months, ideally after cutting alcohol right back and looking at weight — many results normalise on re-test.
If abnormalities persist, the pathway is well-worn and unfrightening: your GP (NHS or private) examines you, asks about alcohol, medication and risk factors, and orders a liver screen — blood tests for viral hepatitis, iron overload and autoimmune causes — plus usually an ultrasound (£150–£350 privately, typically bookable within days). A calculated score like FIB-4, or a FibroScan, estimates whether any scarring is developing. Most people leave this process with a fatty-liver diagnosis and lifestyle advice, not a serious disease label — and fatty liver caught early is substantially reversible.
Private results slot into NHS care without friction: GPs routinely accept accredited-lab reports, though they may repeat tests on their own system before referring. With health insurance, investigating abnormal LFTs — GP and gastroenterologist consultations, the screen, imaging — is generally covered under outpatient benefits once symptoms or findings trigger a claim; note that self-bought screening itself isn't claimable, and pre-existing liver conditions won't be covered on a new policy.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a private liver function test cost?
£25–£60 as a standalone panel covering ALT, AST, ALP, GGT, bilirubin and albumin. It's also bundled into most general blood panels (£40–£100) and health MOTs, which are often better value if you're checking other things anyway. Finger-prick kits sit at the cheap end; a clinic venous draw adds roughly £25–£40. Results arrive in 2–4 working days.
What does a liver function test actually measure?
Mostly enzymes that leak from stressed or damaged liver cells — ALT and AST — plus bile-duct enzymes ALP and GGT, bilirubin (the jaundice pigment) and albumin, a protein the liver manufactures. Together they show whether the liver is inflamed, whether bile flow is affected and whether its manufacturing function is holding up. It's a smoke alarm rather than a complete liver assessment.
Should I get a liver function test if I drink regularly?
It's one of the more rational self-pay tests there is. Regular drinking above the 14-unit weekly guideline raises GGT and ALT in many people, liver damage from alcohol is silent for years, and a £30 test gives an objective read. Seeing raised enzymes fall on a re-test after cutting down is well-documented motivation. Persistent abnormalities need a GP review, not just repeat kits.
Can a liver function test detect fatty liver disease?
It can flag it — mildly raised ALT and GGT are the classic pattern, and fatty liver is now the commonest cause of abnormal LFTs, affecting roughly 1 in 5 UK adults. But LFTs can be normal despite fatty liver, so a normal result doesn't exclude it. Confirmation usually needs an ultrasound, and assessing any scarring uses tools like FIB-4 or a FibroScan.
What causes abnormal liver function test results?
Commonly: recent alcohol, being overweight (fatty liver), viral infections, gallstones and medications — statins, antibiotics, methotrexate and some herbal or bodybuilding supplements. Vigorous exercise can raise AST temporarily, and about 1 in 20 people have harmlessly raised bilirubin from Gilbert's syndrome. Because so many causes are transient, a mildly abnormal result is usually repeated in 1–3 months before further investigation.
My private liver function test is abnormal — what should I do?
For a mild abnormality without symptoms: cut alcohol right back, then repeat the test in 4–12 weeks — many normalise. If it persists, see a GP for examination and a liver screen (viral hepatitis, iron, autoimmune bloods) plus usually an ultrasound. Jaundice, dark urine, abdominal swelling or feeling unwell alongside abnormal results warrants prompt medical attention rather than a re-test cycle.
Are finger-prick liver function tests accurate?
Reasonably — the main LFT analytes measure acceptably from capillary blood at UKAS-accredited labs. Sample quality is the weak point: over-squeezing and postal delays can affect some enzymes, so follow collection instructions carefully. If a result surprises you or will drive a decision, confirm with a venous sample; GPs will usually repeat the panel on their own lab anyway before acting.
How often should I check my liver function privately?
If you have a standing risk factor — regular drinking, fatty liver risk, long-term medication — once a year is a sensible rhythm, matching how NHS monitoring often works for people on liver-relevant drugs. After an abnormal result, repeat at 1–3 months. There's little value testing monthly: enzymes move slowly, and obsessive re-testing buys anxiety, not information.
Will my GP accept a private liver function test result?
Generally yes — an abnormal result from a UKAS-accredited lab is a legitimate clinical finding, and GPs routinely act on them: examining you, repeating the panel on the NHS, running the fuller liver screen and referring to hepatology if needed. Bring the complete report with reference ranges. Expect the NHS repeat rather than a referral straight from your kit result.
Does health insurance cover liver function tests and follow-up?
The kit you buy yourself isn't claimable — that's self-funded screening. But if abnormal results or symptoms trigger investigation, policies with outpatient cover generally pay for the GP or gastroenterologist consultations, repeat bloods, ultrasound and further imaging. Two caveats: pre-existing liver conditions aren't covered on new policies, and a confirmed chronic condition's long-term monitoring typically returns to the NHS.