If you have had a test carried out at the practice, you can find out the results approximately 4 to 7 days after the test. Some tests may take longer. Test results are received electronically at the practice but will need to be viewed and commented on by a doctor or nurse before they can be given out to the patient.

If your results have been received and seen by a clinician, the receptionist can give you the results over the telephone, or give you a message from the GP (such as whether you need a prescription, or need to make an appointment). If you wish to see someone about your result when it arrives, always ring the surgery before making an appointment to make sure that your results have been received.

If your test results are normal and do not require any action, we will not normally contact you. However, if there is some abnormality we will contact you and let you know what to do (please ensure that your contact details are always up-to-date).

You can telephone the surgery for test results between 13:00 and 15:00 Monday - Friday

You can also view them:

• in your NHS account (through the NHS website or NHS App)
• in your Patient Access account

Cervical cytology results (smears) will be posted to you directly from the testing centre. We usually receive your results at about the same time as you do. Please allow at least 4 weeks for these results to arrive.

Sometimes patients have investigations arranged by hospital consultants. We do not automatically receive these results at the surgery, however we may be able to access them if you request this.

Questions about your results

If you want to talk to someone about your results, fill out our test results request form and someone will be in touch.

Confidentiality

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.

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.