You may ring the surgery for the results of tests but please remember the following points:

Results will only be given to the specific patient to whom they apply. In the interest of confidentiality please be prepared to identify yourself. Please do not phone for results for friends / relatives without prior arrangement (written consent will be required.)

Please do not expect reception staff to have any medical knowledge. They will be able to give you the result and inform you of the action the doctor has requested.  

Please telephone after 2pm to allow time for the doctor to have seen the result.

Sample Containers

If you need to bring a sample please use an appropriate container, i.e. clean and sterile as the laboratory will not be able to process the sample if it has been compromised.

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 childs 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.

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.