Getting your test results
If your test results show that you need more tests or treatment, we will contact you.
Once a doctor has reviewed your test results, you can view them:
- in your NHS account (through the NHS website or NHS App)
- in your Patient Access account
Non-urgent advice: Please Note
If you wish to discuss your results in detail, we recommend that you request a further appointment to do so. You will need to fill in our online form in the usual way to do this.
Hospital Results
If you have had tests arranged by a hospital team (including blood results or scans), these results will not be automatically sent to your GP surgery, but rather will go directly to the clinician who requested the test. It is the responsibility of the clinician who arranged the test to pass information about any results back to you. This is essential as often the interpretation of what the results actually mean for you require a specialist opinion/interpretation.
If you have not heard from the hospital team and wish to know your results, you will need to contact the hospital team directly. You can usually find out who to contact by calling the telephone number on the top of your recent clinic letters, or by calling the hospital switchboard and asking to be put through to the secretary of the team looking after you.
Blood Test
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.
X-Rays
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.