Tests & Results

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
• phone or visit us and we will tell you what the clinician has advised about your results.

Results arrive in the Practice after lunch and the opening hours of our Results Line are listed below:

The Results Line opens from 12:00 – 14:00, please do not phone before 12:00pm.

Questions about your results

If you want to talk to someone about your results, please use our digital consultation service Patchs:

• Complete an online form 

If you are unable to use this service please contact our results department by telephoning 0151 327 1391 and selecting option 3 between 12.00-2.00pm, Monday to Friday.

General Information

When you attend for a test of any kind you will be told how long you should expect to wait for the results. Please bear this in mind and check your NHS App, once sufficient time has elapsed.

Please note that the practice has a strict policy regarding confidentiality and data protection and we will only release test results to the person to whom they relate to unless that person has given prior permission for the release of this data or they are not capable of understanding the results.

Getting results is the responsibility of the patient, we do not contact you with results unless any further action is required. Urine and blood tests usually take at least 7 working days to come back from the laboratory.

The doctor needs to read and interpret each result first. The admin department will be able to tell you if any further action is required but is not qualified to discuss the result with you. Should this be necessary, please make an appointment to come in and see your doctor.

Xray results take up to 2 weeks to be processed. However, any very serious abnormality is communicated to the practice within 2 days.

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 website https://www.nhs.uk/

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 website https://www.nhs.uk/

Urine Test

Bring a urine specimen in before 11:00 on the day it is done. Please make sure specimens are labelled with the date and your name and DOB.

The doctor or nurse will have told you if the sample is for dip testing at the practice. This is usually done as a screen for sugar or infection. Please tell the receptionist this information.

If you were told that the sample is to go to the hospital laboratory then there are several rules to follow. The sample must be mid stream, passed the same morning it is brought in, into a sterile bottle obtained from reception. Please label it with your name, date of birth and the days date. Please note that the laboratory do not do routine pregnancy testing. Fast reliable tests can be purchased at the chemist.

If your test has been carried out at a Clinic or Hospital please call the Clinic or Hospital for the result, as we cannot action tests which have been requested by other Clinicians outside the practice. If the consultant’s secretary or colleague inform you they will send the results to your GP, explain that you want the results from the specialist who arranged them who is in by far the best place to give appropriate advice.