Tota Reviews 

Appalling customer service (and that's saying something in this day and age).

The urine test results only generated 4 results compared to my previous test results of 25 species. For a £300 test, this is meant to be my entire microbiome, not a highlights reel. 

When I queried the low amount, my concerns were dismissed by an anonymous email account. Over several further emails, I repeatedly requested more information, inc. the threshold limit used. They refused to provide this but eventually, grudgingly admitted that the threshold used on this test was higher. 

Despite stating in their FAQ that a member of their lab team will contact you to discuss test queries, no one bothered. I asked for the name of the anonymous person replying to my messages and they refused to provide (!).

After complaining, their story changed: it was actually my fault. I had taken antibiotics 6 months prior to the test, so that must have wiped out my entire biome. Oh, and my sample was apparently too diluted. But it states in their Terms of Service that if a sample can't be analysed, 'we will tell you, and we will send you a replacement kit free of charge or, at your request, a refund.' Instead of doing this, they generated an incomplete report and failed to mention any issues with dilution until my complaint. Failing to disclose an issue that may compromise the final results is considered poor practice as per UKAS guidelines.

No refund or retest has been offered (not that a retest would be accepted at this point, as the trust in their professionalism is completely gone). Thank goodness for credit card protection. 

If you're looking for an accurate, professional testing experience, I'm afraid they have significantly lowered their professional standards since the recent rebrand and should be avoided. 

The results were quick and very thorough. They have helped me to understand my symptoms. Gabriella was brilliant and reassuring on a follow-up call. I will not hesitate to use Tota again if my symptoms reoccur.

Great company. I have been using them since they were called digital microbiology and they have always been great - amazing turnaround time with fast results.

They have recently rebranded to Tota and have given your results a spruce up to make them a bit easier to digest and they now also offer a follow up call which I think is super helpful as you can ask them questions about what things mean if you aren't sure. If you have never done one of these before it's invaluable.

Fast and detailed results. Amazing comms and support! I would highly recommend.

If I could give you 10 stars I would. They have been extremely helpful in my diagnosis as I have been going one step forward and two steps back. But now I have evidence to show to my GP or specialist that this is my issue and get the correct help needed. Yes it's expensive but it can also save so much time and being in pain or uncomfortable isn't good.

Superb service from ordering kit to results given. 1st class.
Any questions emailed to NICK were responded to almost immediately. Well worth the cost.
Thank you for all your help.
Kind regards

The information Nick and the team have provided from urine analysis is far superior to any of the standardised test results we have gotten from the Health Service in Ireland. The results have guided and informed us along with our GP in dealing with chronic debilitating infections. They provide a highly recommended service with phenomenal communication. Keep up the good work. Thank you.

Prompt service. A useful explanation of the results. Thank you

I found the whole experience very easy. The pack came with clear step by step instructions to follow to complete the sample and how to send back. I have been experiencing UTI type symptoms for nearly seven years now with negative urine cultures by standard NHS testing and vaginal swabs. I have had various tests to rule out conditions such as interstitial cystitis and overactive bladder syndrome. I was at my wits end with still no answers as everything was coming back as ‘normal’. I was told by a urologist I probably had an embedded UTI. After constant different UTI antibiotics that didn’t help, I did some research and found out you could do a microbiome urine test which tests for thousands of bacteria’s - as by this point I was convinced I had an embedded bladder infection that was not being picked up in standard tests. I decided to have this done with Digital Microbiology as they had really good reviews. I’m really pleased I went ahead with this - even though it is a little costly it is by far worth it for answers. Once the lab received my sample they put my results on my online portal within 2 days. It showed really high levels of a bacteria called ureaplasma, two strains of this to be specific. In high levels these can cause people to become symptomatic and can cause UTI / vaginal symptoms. The NHS doesn’t standardly test for this bacteria which is why I never had answer's. Standard UTI antibiotics do not treat this bacteria either which is why they would never improve my symptoms in the past. So as it turns out I do not have an embedded UTI ! They gave advice on two options of antibiotic that are reccomended to treat this infection on the report, which I was then able to provide to the GP / consultant to get appropriate treatment. I must warn though the NHS are not educated on this bacteria nor have clear guidelines to treat it so there was a lot of explaining and advocating for myself along side the microbiome report to get any help. I am hoping with treatment I will feel better and I won’t have to suffer any longer. It is nice to know that there is something there and there is a treatment as for years I’ve not been listened to or professionals have insinuated it’s in my head.

Thank you Digital Microbiology for providing this service for people like me. And thank you for answering a question I also had about my results - this was responded to the next day with detail.

I will be recommending your services.

Very quick results, and they answered my questions when I emailed them! Overall quite satisfied with the company and they seem very dedicated

With their very advanced technology Digital Microbiology helped me to find the bacteria which caused my UTI (the NHS tests were not able to) and suggested the antibiotics which would work for them. This made a crucial difference to my health and I am so grateful that I found them. Their customer care is first class. They responded quickly to my questions and gave me very helpful advice before, during and after the test. This is a very friendly and supportive company and I cannot recommend them enough. Real life savers.

Digital Microbiology have been invaluable in tracking a series of on-going chronic UTIs. They have identified specific bacteria and the antibiotics that those bacteria respond to. This is in contrast to randomly GP prescribed antibiotics which seemed to exacerbate the problem. Nick and his team respond very promptly to any enquiry and are very helpful. For anyone struggling with repeated UTIs, I think the insights that this company provide are absolutely essential.

I didn't find their vaginal test very accurate. It showed up the good bacteria very well, but missed some bad bacteria which showed up in another test at the same time. I think it's a pretty good testing service for UTIs, and the team at DM are great and very helpful, but the test results for me, and a couple others I have spoken to in similar situations, weren't accurate.

Probably the best decision. After being ignored by my gynecologist, I decided to get testing done right at my own expense. The whole process is smooth, the communication amazing, and I got results back quickly. Turns out I did need antibiotics, and now Im finally fine after months of undiagnosed issues

Digital Microbiology have been a beacon of hope for me throughout a 7 month journey battling a UTI or as it turns out UTI’s. If you’ve got UTI symptoms and are not getting well or diagnosed don’t hesitate. You’ll get a breakdown of exactly what’s in your urine and identify the pathogen or pathogens causing your symptoms and find out which antibiotic will treat it and which antibiotics it’s resistant to. It’s the future and miles ahead of the outdated testing done by the nhs which misses many infections and sort of guesses which antibiotics to give resulting in resistance and much pain and suffering. If the nhs adopted this model patients would get the right antibiotic first time and get better most of the time and many unnecessary, invasive and costly procedures such as cystoscopy could be avoided. It’s a no brainer. The nhs should sit up and take notice. Yes, atm it’s expensive but what price can you put on health? If the nhs and private hospitals adopted this third generation testing the price would come down.
I can’t thank Digital microbiology enough for their care and for sticking with me.

Outstanding service.
Quick turn around.
Results well explained.
Great that a company are using 21st Century technologies!

I happened to be accepted on a Healthy Controls trial, not realising that I would soon discover that I actually had issues. I had dismissed. The symptoms I had were bothersome, but liveable with.
Thanks to this amazing company and the fully comprehensive report that I could access, download and take initially to the pharmacist to request the treatment suggestion on the report, it ended up saving valuable time and resources. The pharmacist could not request the recommended antibiotics as he had only access to the broad spectrum on offer. With his guidance and advice, I was then able to request a copy of my results to be placed on my NHS file for the GP to write the antibiotics specifically for the pathogens on the report.
The pharmacist commented what a great and extremely helpful report it was.
I would not hesitate to use this service in the future. Especially when the pharmacist admitted he had never seen such a comprehensive report at this level before.

Excellent service all round. Very impressed with packaging and instructions on testing materials, speed, thoroughness and presentation of results, and perhaps most important of all the kind help of Nick answering follow-up questions and helping me identify best next steps. Unfortunately, I’m having trouble getting my GP on side to prescribe recommended antibiotics. Sadly it seems that despite the fact I have a complex history of chronic uti symptoms that have confounded conventional treatments, my GP practice is not willing to work with me on an alternative approach. So frustrating.

detected a pathogen that wouldn't show up on a old outdated PCR test in NHS. This showed me a pathogen that is not found in Males. Doctors told me it was all in my head! Now I found the answer . Why didnt I get it tested here sooner!

This is an amazing service with caring professionals. Nick and his team genuinely want to help make things better for people. The testing is simple and the results arrive quickly.
Nick was really supportive with helping my daughter and I plan the next steps and for us the GP was interested in the detailed analysis and prescribed the necessary medication without hesitation.
Couldn’t recommend highly enough.