Blood Tests

Advertisements must not discourage essential treatment for conditions for which medical supervision should be sought (BCAP 11.3). This means that ads for blood testing services should not target people who are presenting with symptoms, however generic, e.g. “feeling off”.

Blood tests as a diagnostic tool for people who are not presenting with symptoms are of limited clinical value.

Therefore, it is best practice to avoid claims for blood tests and instead focus on their availability only. Limited claims may be made in the context of an ongoing testing regime to, for example, assess the impact of dietary choices on cholesterol levels.