Blood sample collection options

How blood is collected

The two main ways to collect a blood sample are by taking blood from a vein (a venous sample) or a finger-prick collection.

1. Venous blood sample

A qualified healthcare professional will use a needle to take blood from a vein, usually in your arm. The blood is collected into a tube (or several, depending on the test), allowing for a large volume of blood to check all necessary biomarkers.

2. Finger-prick sample

With a finger-prick test, you will prick your finger with a lancet and collect a sample of blood. You can do a finger-prick blood test yourself, at home, and it’s considered less invasive than a venous sample.

While finger-prick tests can perform a wide range of blood tests, it’s not possible to test every biomarker this way – especially if a large volume of blood is required.