Test Results
Results of Tests and Investigations
Our reception staff are not qualified to comment on results therefore it is your responsibility to check them and make any necessary follow-up appointment with the doctor.
Please note that we do 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.
If you need to call the surgery about test results please do not call until after 2pm. Our phones lines are very busy before this time.
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 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.
You can find out more about blood tests, their purpose and the way they are performed on the NHS Choices website.
Please note we are unable to perform blood tests on children under 14.
We operate a drop in blood clinic each day between 07.30-10.30. No appointment is needed. The samples are then collected from the Medical Unit at around 11am and transported to the laboratory at Queens Hospital Burton for processing. This is why we take the vast majority of blood samples in the morning. Some types of blood samples, diabetic HBA1C bloods for example, can be taken and stored until the collection the next day without the sample being compromised so you may be offered a booked appointment after 10.30 depending on the bloods required.
If you attend the surgery for secondary care blood tests (blood tests requested by the hospital), going forward we will require the patient to provide the requesting doctor with the results. We won't be able to send bloods results to the hospital without a request via email from the hospital. This may be by accessing the results online via the Systm Online or NHS app, collecting a print off of your results from reception or requesting a copy via email or accurx. Unfortunately, we are seeing a growing number of patients attending the medical unit for secondary care bloods with no instruction on where to send the results and our secretaries are spending an increasing amount of time dealing with this.
X-Rays
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 an 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.
Hospital results
When you attend the hospital for an appointment, the Doctor or Nurse you see there may request some further tests. Generally, the results will be returned to the clinician who requested them. We may not receive these results until they have been reviewed by the requesting clinican and a letter summarising these results typed and sent to your GP.