Tests & Results

Samples

All samples must be brought to the surgery in sterile containers and sealed in the bags provided by the practice. Your full name and date of birth must be written on all bottles and must be handed in at reception before 14:00 on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday to be included in our specimen collection from the hospital.

If the doctor or nurse has asked you for a urine sample which needs to be sent to the lab, please follow these instructions: Urine Sample Instructions

Results

If you have been sent for an investigation you will be contacted by phone, unless otherwise arranged with the doctor/nurse.

BLOOD RESULTS – please contact the surgery after 2pm.

X-RAY RESULTS – please contact the surgery after 2pm,  5 working days after examination.

SMEAR RESULTS – are sent via post, they usually take 4-6 weeks. If you do not received the result after this time please contact the surgery.

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.

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. 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.