All samples should be handed in to the practice before 1.30pm Monday-Friday.
(Unless specifically requested by a clinician after this time).
Any samples handed in after this time will not be accepted/tested.
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 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 website.
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. The surgery does not write to patients to confirm normal test results.
You are also able to obtain your results via the NHS App or use the ADMIN patient triage form, link on home page.
The surgery will contact you about any abnormal results.
As a general rule:
- Most blood test results are available within a week
- X-ray results are usually available within a month (although they can take up to 6 weeks at times)
- Cervical smear results are posted to the patient directly from the Primary Care Support Agency within 8 weeks.
Please be patient with the receptionists when you call, they are not medically qualified and can only pass on whether your GP has said the result is normal or not, they cannot give any detailed explanations of your results.
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.
Alternatively you can view all your results online, if you have not already registered for our online service you can do this by visiting the surgery with photo ID to get your username and password, please note once registered you need to apply for Detailed Coded Record access or Full Clinical Record access via your online account in order to view results. (Please note Full Clinical Record access also includes Detailed Coded Record access).
Your request for Detailed Coded Record access will take up to 14 days to process. Full Clinical Record access will need to go to your GP for authorisation, this is currently taking up to 6 to 8 weeks to process.
