Questions & Answers
Q. You have sent me a result of Vitamin D = 12 nmol/L which is in the
severe deficiency area. What should I do?
A. Please appreciate that this is not unusual. Many people in the UK have
surprisingly low levels of Vitamin D. Levels this low need supplementation
and you should discuss this further with your GP or pharmacist locally. They
can advise on the correct approach to get levels into the healthy area.
Q. How long does my test pack take to arrive?
A. We send kits out by Royal Mail 1st class post on weekdays or by airmail
for overseas orders. So you should receive your pack within a few days of
placing your order.
Q. Can I use the test on my child?
A. The test is designed for adults. If you use the kit on children we advise
that you have a trained nurse or phlebotomist help take the sample.
Q. How many times can I test myself?
A. For personal use we do not recommend that you test yourself more than
twice a year. The multi-packs of 10 and 50 are really meant for professional
workers such as nutritionists and University researchers.
Q. Can you direct me to information about Vitamin D?
A. Yes, this NHS advice is clearly written and covers a lot of areas detail
about vitamin D in an easy to understand format…..
Q. I have been reading some overseas websites and they use ng/ml rather
than nmol/L. Can you tell me how to convert please?
A. To convert ng/ml to nmol/L multiply the ng/ml by 2.5. For example 50
ng/ml is equivalent to 125 nmol/L.
Q. How long does it take to receive results?
A. Once we receive your sample in the laboratory our aim is you will receive
results within 10 working days, but this can vary depending on workload.
Q. Can you measure Vitamin D in animals?
A. Yes, we have been working with major zoological societies and
researchers in the UK since 2012 to monitor Vitamin D levels in a wide
range of animals from monkeys to reptiles and birds. Of course results need
careful interpretation with veterinary reference intervals rather than those
we use for humans.
Q. Do you send packs overseas?
A. Yes, we send kits as far away as New Zealand.
Q. I want to test my extended family to check all our Vitamin D levels. Can
we order the discounted professional pack of 10 kits?
A. Yes, we are seeing this quite a lot - both for family and work situations -
the pack comes with 10 individually wrapped kits for you to distribute to
individuals.
Q. What is the connection between Birmingham Picture Library and the
Vitamin D testing service?
A. Birmingham Picture Library is the organisation appearing on your bank
statement. This local business runs the internet sales for us.
Contacting us
Email: vitd@cityassays.org.uk
Tel: +44 (0) 121 507 4278
Our Address: Clinical Biochemistry Department, Black Country Pathology Services, City Hospital Birmingham, B18 7QH, UK
This service to the public is provided from the SWBH NHS Trust laboratories part of BCPS. Our work is overseen by the governance policies,
procedures and quality system applying to BCPS. Please contact us if you would like further details in this area.
Note: Birmingham Picture Library receives orders and forwards them to the laboratory . Birmingham Picture Library is the
organisation appearing on your bank statement. Queries are handled by the laboratory once orders are received.