BPR

Your home kit, step by step

How to collect your finger-prick sample at home, in the same order as the instruction sheet in your kit. Read it all once before you start.

58 seconds · AI voice

Fill both tubes to the top

Fill both tubes right up to the top, not just to the line. Filling only to the line is not enough blood for the test.

Before you start: get the blood flowing

  • Drink water

    Drink plenty of water about 30 minutes before.

  • Warm your hands

    Wash your hands in warm water for at least 20 seconds.

  • Stand and shake

    Stand up and shake your hands gently at waist height.

  • Move a little

    Do a few star jumps, five or more.

  • Be gentle

    Do not squeeze your finger hard. Massage it gently instead.

  • Change finger

    If the blood stops, try another finger.

Collecting your sample

  1. 1.Choose your finger

    Open the lancets. The middle or ring finger works best.

  2. 2.Wash and dry

    Wash your hands in warm water and dry them well with a clean towel.

  3. 3.Clean the finger

    Wipe the finger with the wipe from the kit and let it dry. A wet finger will not form a drop.

  4. 4.Take off the lancet cap

    Take one lancet, twist the cap and pull it off.

  5. 5.Press until it clicks

    Rest the lancet on the side of your fingertip and press until it clicks. Hold it still for 3 seconds.

  6. 6.Wipe the first drop

    Wipe away the first drop of blood with the gauze.

  7. 7.Massage downwards

    Keep your hand pointing down and massage from the palm towards the finger.

  8. 8.Drip into the tube

    Let the drops fall into the tube. Use the protective packaging to hold the tube upright.

  9. 9.Fill both tubes

    Fill both tubes to the top. If the blood slows, wipe the finger with a dry tissue, wait 5 to 10 seconds and try again.

  10. 10.Close until it clicks

    Push each cap on firmly until it clicks.

  11. 11.Turn the tubes over

    Gently turn each tube upside down and back 5 to 10 times.

  12. 12.Label the tubes

    With a ballpoint pen, write your first name, surname, date of birth, and the date and time of collection, then wrap the label around the tube. A sample without a label cannot be accepted.

  13. 13.Pack it

    Put the tubes in the protective packaging from the kit.

Before you send it back

  • Kit registered, if your order asks for it
  • Both tubes filled to the top
  • Both tubes labelled
  • Tubes in the protective packaging, inside the prepaid envelope

Sending it back

Post it back the same day, Monday to Thursday, in the prepaid envelope that comes with the kit, at a Royal Mail priority postbox (the ones with the NHS/Royal Mail sticker). The envelope is prepaid: there is nothing to pay to send it back.

Find a priority postbox near you

Need help?

If something goes wrong with the kit, talk to us before you post it.

Get help

General information about collecting the sample, not medical advice. Take your results to a doctor you trust, such as your GP. If you feel unwell, do not wait for a result.