Test 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 SystmOnline account
  • Phone or visit us between 8am to 6.30pm and we will tell you what the results are

Non-urgent advice: Patient Notice

We will contact you only if a result is abnormal and you require treatment or further investigations. You will not be contacted if your result is normal.

Patient Information Regarding Samples

Please note that we cannot accept: 

  • Samples in glass containers
  • Any unlabelled samples
  • Samples that haven’t been requested by a clinician
  • Any urine or blood samples after 3pm
  • Any samples at all after 3pm on a Friday (or the day before a bank holiday)

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:

  • Check your general health
  • Confirm the presence of a bacterial or viral infection
  • See how well certain organs, such as the liver and kidneys, are functioning
  • Find out how well a condition is being treated or managed

A blood test usually involves the phlebotomist taking a blood sample from a blood vessel in your arm. The usual place for a sample to be taken 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.

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.