Blood Tests
A blood test is when a sample of your blood is sent to a laboratory for analysis. 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. The usual place for a sample is the inside of the elbow or wrist, where the veins are close to the surface. Blood samples from children are usually taken from the back of the hand. An anaesthetic cream will be put on the child's hand before the sample is taken.
Our nurses and healthcare assistants will only carry out blood tests if requested by one of the doctors. You cannot ask them to do this yourself.
You can find out more about blood tests on the NHS website at www.nhs.uk/conditions/blood-tests
Test Results
When you attend for a test of any kind you will be told how long you should expect to wait for the results.
We understand that waiting for test results can be a worrying time. We rely on the timescales provided by the laboratory for when we receive the results, which we then have to review before we can release them to you.
If we are concerned about any of your results then we will contact you to discuss them, or we may invite you in for an appointment if it would be more appropriate to discuss them in person.
If you don't here from us then you can assume your results are normal. If you would like to check then please call after 2.00pm.
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.
Our reception staff are not qualified to interpret results and will only read to you any comments added by the doctor.
Sometimes the laboratory will indicate a result is outside a normal reference range for that particular test, even if only by a little bit. Our clinicians review the results alongside the other clinical information they have and may not be concerned about a minor change from the normal range.
The majority of blood test results are back within a couple of days, however, some tests can take up to a week.
Guide to common tests that are done and the expected time that results are normally back.
| Test |
Wait |
| Cervical smear |
2 to 3 weeks |
| Faecal examination |
4 to 7 days |
| MRI scan report |
1 to 2 weeks |
| Swab culture and sensitivity |
1 week |
| Ultrasound report |
1 to 2 weeks |
| Urine examination |
4 to 7 days |
| Xray report |
2 to 3 weeks |