All test results are seen by the doctors when they return from the hospital. For very urgent abnormalities you will be contacted. For your own peace of mind, it is best to contact the surgery to receive your test results. If you have not been told a time to return to see the doctor for the results, please telephone after 11:00.
Please note it can take 3 to 5 days for results to come back from the hospital. We may ask you to confirm your address and date of birth for security reasons.
Samples
Samples are taken from the surgery to the hospital at 13:00. Most blood samples do not keep overnight and so you will be asked to make a morning appointment with the practice nurse for them to be taken. Some blood tests e.g. cholesterol and sugar, need to be taken when you have starved for a period of 12 hours.
It is usually best to have nothing to eat or drink from 21:00 the night before the blood test, and to have an appointment with the nurse as early in the morning as possible. For a pregnancy test, it is best to test the first urine specimen passed after getting out of bed in the morning. If it is positive it is best to see the doctor soon to arrange maternity services.
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.