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 only call the surgery once sufficient time has elapsed, please allow 14 days for blood tests and urine tests.
You can contact our medical secretaries by phone between 9am-12pm Monday-Friday for test results or you can contact us anytime 24-7 online.
You won’t receive a response out of hours, but you’ll have peace of mind that you will be responded to as soon as we can, without queuing on the phone!
You can also now check your results via the NHS App, please note that some tests are reported on sooner by the lab than others. This is because some tests require more in-depth analysis which can take several days. This means that results will become available on the NHS app staggered over several days, please allow 14 days for all results to be available.
Our reception staff are not trained to comment on test results, so they will pass your enquiry to the medical secretaries.
Although the practice will usually contact you directly if any action is required following your test, it is your responsibility to follow up on test results (by phone, online or via the NHS app) and make any necessary follow-up appointments, if advised to do so.
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.
Normal, no further action – Your test results require no follow up and are within normal range.
Satisfactory or Borderline – Your result is close to normal range and not concerning.
Abnormal, but expected – Your result is in keeping with your known medical condition(s) or current treatment and no further action is required.
Abnormal, repeat test – Your result has come back outside the normal reference range and the lab have suggested a repeated test.
Abnormal – Your result has come back outside of normal range and could indicate a potential issue.
Specimen lost/unusable, repeat test – Unfortunately, there has been a problem getting a result. This may be due to:
- A delay in samples reaching the laboratory
- A label problem
- An incorrect specimen container used
- An error in the laboratory
If you have had blood tests or investigations requested by a hospital (including outpatient clinics, inpatient wards or Urgent Care/A&E), the hospital team is responsible for reviewing and acting on those results.
GP practices do not automatically receive or review test results that have been arranged by a hospital. This means:
- We may not have access to your results
- We are unable to interpret or act on hospital-requested tests unless the hospital has written to us directly
- Any follow-up, treatment, or further investigations remain the responsibility of the hospital team who requested the test
What you need to do
If you are waiting for results from a hospital test, please contact the hospital department that arranged the test directly. They are best placed to:
- Provide your results
- Explain what they mean
- Arrange any necessary follow-up care
When will the GP be informed?
The hospital will contact us if:
- There is something we need to action
- Your care is being transferred back to the GP
Why this matters
Contacting your GP practice about hospital tests can delay your care, as we may not have the information needed to help you. Speaking directly to the hospital team ensures you get the right information as quickly as possible.
