Skip to main content
RQIA registered healthcare provider
Vitamin B12 Blood Test at Jace MedicalEnergy & nutrition

Private blood test

Vitamin B12 Blood Test

Measures vitamin B12, important for healthy blood and nerves, or Active B12, the form your body can use.

  • 1 biomarker
  • No fasting needed
Choose your panel

Vitamin B12

£49Includes sample collection

Book this test Ask a question

We confirm your appointment and any preparation, such as fasting, before you attend.

What’s included

1 biomarker in Vitamin B12.

No fasting needed

Vitamins1

Key vitamins for energy, nerves, bones and healthy blood.

  • Vitamin B12

About this test

Is the Vitamin B12 Blood Test right for you?

Who it’s for

  • You have symptoms that can be linked to low vitamin B12, such as extreme tiredness, pins and needles, difficulty concentrating or memory problems, or a sore, red tongue.
  • You follow a vegan diet or eat few animal-source foods, and do not regularly have B12-fortified foods or supplements.
  • You take a medicine that can lower vitamin B12, such as metformin or a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) like omeprazole.
  • You have coeliac disease, an autoimmune condition such as thyroid disease or type 1 diabetes, or a family history of B12 deficiency.
  • You have had stomach or bowel surgery, including some weight loss operations.

What it can show

  • The standard option measures total vitamin B12 in your blood (serum cobalamin), one of the two first tests NICE recommends for suspected B12 deficiency.
  • The Active B12 option measures holotranscobalamin, the part of vitamin B12 that is available for your cells to use. NICE recommends active B12 as the first test during pregnancy, when total B12 naturally falls.
  • NICE accepts either option as a first test. Results are grouped as showing that deficiency is confirmed, possible or unlikely.

What it can’t tell you

  • Some results fall in a borderline range. NICE advises a further test (methylmalonic acid, or MMA) for some people with symptoms and a borderline result, which can be arranged through your GP.
  • B12 tablets, injections, sprays or patches can raise your result without fully treating a deficiency. The combined contraceptive pill can lower total B12 without causing a deficiency.
  • A normal result does not always rule out B12 deficiency, and some people have symptoms with normal levels. This test also does not show the cause of a low level, such as pernicious anaemia.
  • If you have numbness, pins and needles, balance problems or changes in your eyesight, see your GP promptly. NICE advises that treatment should not be delayed in these cases, and some nerve problems can become permanent.
  • Results are interpreted alongside your symptoms. Diagnosis and treatment of B12 deficiency are made with your GP or specialist.

How it works

From booking to results in three steps.

  1. Step 1

    Request your test

    Send a booking request online or call us. We confirm your clinic, appointment time and any preparation.

  2. Step 2

    Visit the clinic

    A short appointment for professional sample collection at Greysteel or Letterkenny. No GP referral needed.

  3. Step 3

    Receive your results

    Usually within a couple of working days, emailed to you once a doctor has reviewed them.

Common questions

Questions about this test.

The standard test measures all the vitamin B12 in your blood. Active B12 measures only the part your cells can take up and use. NICE accepts either as a first test, and recommends active B12 during pregnancy.

Based on 5 sources, including NHS and NICE guidance

Choose your clinic

Where would you like your test?

All clinic information
A clinician meeting with a patient at Jace Medical’s Greysteel clinicNorthern Ireland

County Londonderry, Northern Ireland

Greysteel Clinic

Our main clinic, on the A2 between Derry/Londonderry and Limavady, for testing, medicals and health services.

Address
Unit 1 & 2, The Vale Centre, Clooney Road, Greysteel, BT47 3GE
Opening hours
Monday–Friday, 9am–5pm · Free parking at The Vale Centre
Phone
028 7116 5790
Book at Greysteel DirectionsClinic details

You might also consider

Related blood tests.

View all tests

Energy & nutrition

Anaemia Profile

Markers commonly used to look for anaemia and its causes, including iron and vitamin levels.

10 biomarkers

£129

Energy & nutrition

Extended Vitamins & Minerals

A wide panel of vitamins and minerals for a detailed picture of your nutritional status.

16 biomarkers

£269

Energy & nutrition

Iron Status

A focused look at iron levels, including ferritin, and how iron is being stored and transported in the blood.

5 biomarkers

£49

Energy & nutrition

Nutritional & Digestive Health

Combines nutrition, digestive, blood sugar and cholesterol markers, including coeliac and H. pylori antibodies, in one panel.

24 biomarkers · Fasting

£209

Book your test

Ready to book this test?

Send a request and our team will confirm your clinic, appointment time, price and any preparation.

Book this testAsk a question