Prostate Specific Antigen Blood Test
Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing is a blood test used to measure the level of PSA, a protein produced by the prostate gland. The test is commonly used to screen for prostate problems, including prostate cancer. The PSA test involves a simple blood draw.
What to expect at your appointment
You'll be seen by one of our phlebotomy team in our private consultation room. We allocate 30 minutes for each appointment but it is a very simple blood test which takes around 10 minutes, there is no requirement to wait for any period of time after the blood has been taken.
In advance of your appointment
- Drinking water helps keep your veins full, making it easier to draw blood
- We recommend you avoid caffeine for 24 hours prior to the appointment
- You should avoid vigorous exercise or sexual activity for 24-48 hours before your appointment as these can temporarily raise PSA levels.
If you are uncomfortable with needles, tell the phlebotomist doing your blood test if you're worried about needles. They can help you feel more comfortable during the test. You can also bring someone with you to the blood test to support you.
After your appointment
After the test, you'll usually be given some cotton wool or plaster to cover the area where the blood was taken.
You may get some slight bruising or swelling around the area where your blood was taken, but this should go away after a few days.
Receiving your results
One of our Independent Prescriber team will review your results and generate a summary report* outlining what your results mean and the next actions that are recommended. We will contact you by phone in the first instance to talk through the results and follow up by email with both your blood test results and the report that outlines what this means for you.
If your results do not show anything unexpected, you may not need to do anything else. Sometimes you may need further tests, or visit your GP.
*Summary Report will be AI generated by DOCUS.