Tests & Results

Results

Please call between 9am – 12 noon and 2pm – 4pm to enquire about your test results as our reception staff will have more time to deal with your request between these times.

Non-urgent advice: Notice

Note that 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.

When you take your test you will be told how long it will be before the results are returned to the practice.

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.

For information on what your laboratory test results mean please visit Lab Tests Online.

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 and the usual place for a sample is the 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.

Following your blood test being taken at the practice, the sample(s) is sent by courier to the local hospital laboratory to be processed. 

Even though you may have had one sample taken, some tests can take longer than others to be processed and reported on.  

Whilst most tests are processed within 2 days, we usually advise that you wait 5-7 days. 

If your results are abnormal and warrant action, the practice will contact you to either book a routine or urgent appointment. 

The practice may contact you by letter, phone or by sending you a SMS text message.

Please note, that due to the high volume of results that we process, if your results are normal, we will not usually contact you.

If you are concerned about your results, we would advise you register for our online services so that you can view your results, medical records as well as book cancel and change appointments and request repeat prescriptions.

To register for online services, please visit the practice website or emis access, enquire at reception.  You can also access your records via a number of Apps that are available via the Apple or Android App Store.

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.