Did you know that you can view results of your tests on the NHS App?
We encourage all our patients to download the App as you can also have access to your medical records from the App. A doctor will leave a message for you after checking the result. When it is filed, you will be able to see it without having to contact us.
If the doctor has commented that they would like you to book another appointment, please submit an Engage Consult form specifying that you have been asked by the doctor to contact the medical centre to discuss the result and your availability to take the call and we will try to book a telephone call back with the same clinician, if possible, usually within 48 hours.
If you have not already done so, please download the NHS App now. Please click on the ‘Download the NHS App button on the homepage to get started.
When you attend for a test of any kind you will be told how long you should expect to wait for the results. We will seek permission from you to send you a text message to communicate your result. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, we will aim to message you regarding test results and if needed discuss these with you on the phone. If possible, we will try and manage this without the need for patients to come to the Practice.
Our reception staff are not qualified (nor the best people) to comment on results therefore they will not be able to give you results over the phone. it is your responsibility to check with the person who is requesting your investigations to make a plan with them and be clear as to how you will receive the result. You may need a follow up appointment to be booked after an appropriate interval if your management plan depends on tests and results. If the tests were done for your or the clinician’s reassurance you may be happy to have a text message to inform you results were within the normal range. Please make sure that you inform us when your mobile number changes because the number will be crucial to enable us to get in touch with you if necessary.
Non-urgent advice: Please note
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.
How long will I have to wait for a result?
Some tests such as finger prick blood tests and urine dipstick tests will give instant results. Most tests however can take up to 5 days for results to come back and some special tests take longer. Test results are sent electronically to the practice and are checked every day by our team. Clinicians usually add a comment when filing a result. We have tried to provide explanations for comments used commonly.
How can I find out a test result?
We encourage all our patients to have online access to their medical records SystmOnline and NHS app. This enables the patient to view the results as soon as the clinician files the result. It is important to understand some terms used by the clinician at the time of filing the result to minimise misunderstanding / misinterpretation.
At times the clinician will add a comment to ‘Contact the Practice to discuss the results’. Please do not be alarmed if you receive a message like this – it does not necessarily mean it is serious if the result needs a discussion. Pease submit an Engage Consult form specifying that you have been asked by the doctor to contact the medical centre to discuss the result and your availability to take the call and we will try to book a telephone call back with the same clinician if possible, usually within 48 hours.
If your result reveals that urgent action is needed your GP will try and telephone you rather than messaging you.
Even when we have informed you by text that your results were normal, please come to see us again if your original problem persists as we may need to decide to carry out further tests or on some occasions refer you to specialist. Therefore if you are still worried or want to have follow up for the problem you came in for, please submit a request explaining what you would like to discuss and we can arrange a call back from the clinician within 48 hours.
If you call the medical centre for a result, please remember that members of the reception team are not medically trained and cannot interpret results for you. Why don’t you download the NHS App and ask for online access so you can see the result as soon as it is filed?
Can I call about test results for another patient?
In most cases we are only able to give results out to the person they relate to. The only exceptions to this are;
- The patient is under the age of 16. In this instance we are only able to give results out to the legal parent/guardian of the patient.
- The patient has given prior written permission for us to share their results. In this instance a note will be added to the patient’s record advising the reception team who results can be shared with. You may be asked some questions to confirm who you are.
- The patient is incapable of calling for the results themselves. In this instance you should speak to the patient’s GP who will arrange for a note to be added to the patient record advising the reception team who results can be shared with. You may be asked some questions to confirm who you are.
- We appreciate that this can be frustrating but we are bound by strict rules regarding confidentiality and data protection.
Interpreting Blood tests and Other results
Laboratory tests are tools helpful in evaluating the health status of an individual. It is important to realise that laboratory results may be outside of the so-called “normal range” for many reasons.
These variations may be due to such things as race, dietary preference, age, sex, menstrual cycle, degree of physical activity, problems with collection and/or handling of the specimen, non-prescription (over the counter) drugs (aspirin, cold medications, vitamins, etc.), prescription drugs, alcohol intake and a number of non-illness-related factors.
Any unusual or abnormal results should be discussed with the GP who ordered the test. It is not possible to diagnose or treat any disease or problem with a blood test alone. It can, however, help you to learn more about your body and detect potential problems in early stages when treatment or changes in personal habits can be most effective.
Almost all laboratories set the normal result range for a particular test so that 95% of healthy patients fall within the “normal range”.
That means that 5% of healthy patients fall outside of the normal range, even when there is nothing wrong with them.
Thus an abnormal test does not necessarily mean that there is something wrong with you. Statistically if you have 20 or 30 individual tests checking various things, the chances are 1 or 2 will be slightly outside the normal range.
The comments a clinician then attaches to your results are their interpretation of whether or not any changes they saw when filing results are meaningful and something you should worry about.
When the clinician’s comments state: Normal, no action.
This means that the doctor has looked at the result and considers it to be within the normal range for the test and or in keeping with the symptoms you presented with, so no further investigation or treatment is needed.
When comments state: Okay/Satisfactory
This means that the doctor has looked at the result and deemed it to be very close to the normal range for the test and the result is not concerning. Some patients have consistently abnormal results that are “normal” for them.
Patient to arrange call back with doctor, not urgent.
This means that the doctor wishes to speak to you in order to explain the result e.g. it may be outside the normal range but acceptable to the doctor in the circumstances. Please submit an Engage Consult form indicating your availability for a telephone consultation and we will try to arrange it within a 48 hour period with the clinician.
Make appointment to see doctor, non-urgent.
This is similar to the above but the doctor wishes to explain the result(s) personally as detailed explanations and/or further treatment or investigation(s) may be necessary. Please submit an Engage Consult form indicating your availability for a telephone consultation and we will try to arrange it within a 48 hour period with a clinician.
Comment: Infection confirmed, on correct antibiotic/antifungal.
Self-explanatory, especially when test was performed to confirm that the antibiotic is effective for the infection being treated.
Comment: Continue with current medication.
No reason to change current treatment according to test result(s).
Comment: Review in chronic disease clinic.
Used for long-term condition patients who will have their results discussed during their next clinic review because there were no abnormalities detected in the monitoring blood test and the doctor is reassured that no medication or other changes are required.
Comment for cholesterol test: Cardiovascular risk OK repeat in 5 years.
This means that whatever the blood cholesterol results, the QRISK Calculation is under 10% so there is no requirement to lower the cholesterol level.
The score is based on cholesterol level, height and weight (BMI), blood pressure, smoking habits, family history, sex, ethnicity and other medical conditions e.g. diabetes used together to calculate a predicted risk score for the development of heart disease and/or stroke over the next 10 years (assuming that no preventative measures are undertaken)
Understanding QRISK 2 score: If someone has a 10 year QRISK®2 score of 10% then in a crowd of 100 people like them, on average 10 people would get cardiovascular disease over the next 10 years. Or put another way, they have a ‘one in ten chance of getting cardiovascular disease over the next 10 years
If you have a QRISK®2 score of 10% or more then you are considered to be at high risk of developing cardiovascular disease and need to have advice or treatment to reduce your risk.
Therefore if the comment is cardiovascular risk OK repeat in 5 years your risk is low and you should maintain a healthy lifestyle and have your risk recalculated in 5 years’ time.
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 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.
We normally will receive the result of an X-ray in about a week’s time. We will contact you if there are any changes on the x-ray that need discussion. You should be able to view the result in your NHS App. If you would like to have your results and discuss your problem again please submit an Engage Consult form to request this- we will try to book you a telephone consultation with the clinician within 48 hours if you let us know your availability to take the call.
Ultrasound Scans
If requested by the hospital or another care provider (eg midwives) the results will return to them so please ask them for your results.
If requested by a Thistlemoor clinician we should get the result in about 2 weeks from your scan. Please submit an Engage Consult form to request this- we will try to book you a telephone consultation with the clinician within 48 hours if you let us know your availability for the call.
You may ask the people doing the scan for a copy to be sent to your home, this will allow you to know when the scan has been sent out by the provider.
MRI and CT scans
These scans are normally requested by specialists as we are limited as General Practitioners in our ability to request these scans. The results of scans will be returned to the organisation that requested them (i.e. normally the hospital or community provider). If a clinician from Thistlemoor has requested this then please look for the filed result in your App 3 weeks after having the scan. Based on the comments from the clinician when filing, and if you have any queries, please submit an Engage Consult form to request this- we will try to book you a telephone consultation with the clinician within 48 hours when you let us know your availability for the call.