Test Results

We offer a dedicated telephone service for test results. This can be accessed: Monday to Friday 09:00 – 12:30 and 14:00 – 16:00.

The nurse, doctor or other health care professional carrying out your test will advise you when the results will be available. It is then the responsibility of the patient or their carer to telephone for the results of the tests.

The doctor will have given the results clerks specific instructions regarding any follow-up that may be required and what information they would like conveyed to you.

The results clerks may tell you what the result is, they may ask you to make a telephone consultation with the doctor, they make ask you to make a face-to-face consultation with the doctor, or it may be that the doctor telephones you direct.

Please be patient with the results clerks when you call; they are not medically qualified and can only pass on whether your Doctor has said the result is normal or not.

Time taken for results to reach your doctor

Please note that these times are only a guideline.

Bloods – routine 1 week
Microbiology - Urine/stool/swabs 1 week
Mycology – fungal 2 weeks
Virology/Serology 2 weeks
Xrays 1-2 weeks
CT/MRI scans 2-4 weeks

We often ask patients to arrange a telephone consultation if we feel the result need explaining. Asking you to call does not mean that there is anything seriously wrong.

Sometimes the doctor will mark the result 'normal - no further action', this usually means the result didn't show anything abnormal. If this is the case and you are still having problems, we advise patients to speak to the doctor further to discuss what to do next.

If the results clerk is in any doubt whatsoever about the instructions that have been left, she will ask the doctor for clarification and telephone you back or if preferred, the patient is able to book a telephone consultation with their doctor to discuss the result further.

Blood Tests

blood_tests_4 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

doctor examining an 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.

Quick Links

Test Results

Time taken for results to reach your doctor

Blood Tests

X-Ray

Further Information

Your Health