Test Results

Blood tests may be needed to enable the Doctor to monitor your condition and treatment.

Please allow 48 hours for the result of blood tests to return from the laboratory and for the Doctor to review the results. Some tests may take longer. The Doctor will provide details when requesting the test.

We would appreciate it if telephone calls to obtain details of test results could be made between 10.30am and 1.00pm or 2.00- 6.00pm on weekdays.  This helps to ease congestion on the telephone lines at busier times. To maintain confidentiality, results will only be given to the patient.

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 childs 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, here on the NHS website.