Loughview Medical Centre - About medical tests and how to get your results

Test Results

test_vials2 The reception staff can provide results once they have been reviewed by your doctor. Please telephone after 2.00pm for these and allow approximately five working days after the sample has been taken.

It may not always be appropriate for a receptionist to give a result over the telephone and you may be requested to attend for an appointment, or receive a follow up phone call from the doctor, purely to allow further explanation of the result, negative or positive.

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 patient concerned unless the patient is a child or has given prior permission for their release.

Blood Tests (morning appointments only)

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.

Please note the Nurses will only perform tests that a doctor has specified. If you think you may need a blood test you will need to see a Doctor first so that the appropriate test can be carried out. Blood samples can only be taken in the morning.

Loughview Medical Centre can in certain circumstances take blood samples on behalf of the hospital. In order for us to do this, we require labels which you will get from your consultant. Please ensure that you tell our team that the bloods are for the hospital when booking your appointment and don't forget to bring your labels!

Please allow 5 working days for the result to come back and for the Doctor to view and add any comments if necessary. Results for hospital bloods will go directly to your consultant.

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.

If your GP feels that an Xray required, you will be given a referral form for GP Xray. Please note that this service is an appointment only service and you will be asked to phone and make an appointment at the hospital of your choice.

Please note that we are unable to process any urine samples, that have not been pre-authorised by one of our GPs.

If instructed that a sample is needed, please ensure that the correct container is used and that a form is filled in. Forms and sample containers can be obtained from reception.

Initial tests can be done in practice, but there may be occasions where the sample has to be sent to the lab for analysis.

Test Results

Blood Tests (morning appointments only)

X-Ray

Quick Links

Have your say

Further Information

Your Health