Test Results

Please ring between 10.30-11.00am when telephone lines are less busy.

**Note. The practice has a strict policy regarding confidentiality and data protection and we will only release test results to the person to whom they relate unless that person has given prior permission for the release of this data or they are not capable of understanding the results.

The Doctor or Nurse should tell you approximately how long it will take. We ask most people to ring for the result of their tests, if there is an urgent problem we usually will telephone you.

• Most routine blood results are available after 10 days.
• X-rays, scans may take 2-3 weeks. Cervical smear results take 4-5 weeks.

If the tests have been ordered by your GP, the results will usually come back to the practice. If tests have been ordered by a specialist at the hospital, the results may go back the specialist, not to us.

If you are coming to talk about some hospital letters, tests, X-rays etc or the specialist has asked you to see us, it is better to leave it for up to two weeks, then telephone to see if the results are in. Very commonly patients make an appointment specifically to talk about results from the hospital - and they have not yet arrived. The same can go for letters from hospital outpatient appointments. It is best to ring us first.

It is your responsibility to check your results and to make an appointment to discuss them with your doctor if your are advised to do so.

Blood Tests

A blood test is when a sample of blood is taken for testing in a laboratory. Blood tests have a wide range of uses and are one of the most common types of medical test. For example, a blood test can be used to:

• assess your general state of health
• confirm the presence of a bacterial or viral infection
• see how well certain organs, such as the liver and kidneys, are functioning

A blood test usually involves the phlebotomist taking a blood sample from a blood vessel in your arm. Usually a sample is taken from inside of the elbow or wrist, where the veins are relatively close to the surface. Blood samples from children are most commonly taken from the back of the hand. The child's hand will be anaesthetised (numbed) with a special cream before the sample is taken.

You can find out more about blood tests, their purpose and the way they are performed on the NHS Choices website.

X-Ray

An X-ray is a widely used diagnostic test to examine the inside of the body. X-rays are a very effective way of detecting problems with bones, such as fractures. They can also often identify problems with soft tissue, such as pneumonia or breast cancer.

If you have a X-ray, you will be asked to lie on a table or stand against a surface so that the part of your body being X-rayed is between the X-ray tube and the photographic plate.

An X-ray is usually carried out by a radiographer, a healthcare professional who specialises in using imaging technology, such as X-rays and ultrasound scanners.

You can find out more about x-ray tests, how they are performed, their function and the risks by visiting the NHS Choices website.