Test results

When you attend for a test of any kind you will be told how long you should expect to wait for the results.

Getting your test results

If your test results show that you need more tests or treatment, we will contact you.

Once a doctor has reviewed your test results, you can view them:

Our reception staff will pass on any comments noted by the doctor.

We have have a strict policy regarding confidentiality and data protection. In this respect we will only give out results to the person they relate to unless that person has given prior permission for their release or if they are not capable of understanding them.

Blood tests

Results are usually available 1 week after the blood sample has been taken.

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 at hospital 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 website.

Urine samples

We test urine as part of an annual health check, and to check for infection.

If you think you may have a urine infection, you would have most likely had a same day appointment with the GP. They will ask you to bring in a urine sample.

Your practice nurse or Healthcare assistant may ask you to do a urine sample if you have a chronic health condition.

The sample will be dipped at the surgery for signs of blood or infection. The HCA or GP will give you a call with the result.

We may send the sample to the laboratory for more detailed processing. You may need to telephone us in a few days to get the result. You will be told how to get the result by the clinical staff.

ECG

Your GP make ask you to have an ECG. An ECG records the electrical signals in the heart. Test results can help diagnose heart attacks and irregular heartbeats, called arrhythmias. 

Our Healthcare assistant (HCA) will perform the ECG. Once this is done a copy of the report will GP to your GP for interpretation.

Your GP or HCA will explain how you get the result.

X-Ray

Results are usually available 14 days after you have had the 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 website.

Scans

If you have had a scan the radiographer who performs the scan will send a report to the Doctor or specialist that requested it. This will take 2 or 3 weeks.

Usually you will receive a copy of the report at the same time as the GP. But this is not always the case. Please speak to your referring GP’s secretary or specialists secretary if you have not herd anything in 4 weeks.