Your doctor or another health professional might arrange for you to have a medical test to:
- Find out what’s causing your symptoms
- Screen for a specific condition or health problem
- Check your general health
- Monitor a long term condition or if you are on certain medications
The process and where you go to have your test will be different depending on the type of test.
- Preparing for a test
- Length of time for your rest results to be sent to the practice
- Getting your test results
Preparing for a test
The doctor or other health professional who arranges your test will tell you whether there are any specific instructions that you need to follow before your test.
It's important to follow the instructions you're given. If you don’t, it may affect the accuracy of the test and might mean your test needs to be delayed or carried out again.
Follow the links below for information on the NHS website about some tests and what you might need to do beforehand:
Length of time for test results to be sent to the practice
We will usually get your results in one or two weeks, but it depends on the circumstances and type of test you have.
An approximate number of working days for getting the results of tests arranged by the surgery:
- Blood tests – two to six working days unless otherwise advised
- X-Ray – two weeks (but can take longer)
- Urine test – seven working days
- Stool (poo) test – seven working days
- Ultrasound – if ‘routine’ within six weeks, if 'urgent' within two weeks
- Cancer investigations - one week
For investigations ordered by a hospital, please ask at the hospital how they intend to provide the result to you.
If you’re having a test for more than one condition, the results may come back at different times.
Getting your test results
Getting your results online
You can see your test results online in one of the following ways:
- using your SystmOnline log in (if you are already registered for our Patient Online Service)
- using the NHS App
- using Accurx.
If you have requested access to test results via our online services, please be aware that it is at the GP’s discretion to make the results available to you.
Getting your results by text message (SMS)
If you have opted in to receiving test results via SMS we have made some minor changes to the way we manage test results. Please be aware when getting test results via SMS you may receive more than one text as one blood test appointment can lead to multiple laboratory tests. Some of the results may be normal, some may not. You will get separate texts for each report and these may be different. Please note this is not a system error but occurs as the individual results arrive back at the practice separately. Some are quicker than others so there may be a gap between each text you receive.
Calling the practice
If you are not able to view your results online and have not opted into the SMS service you can call the surgery to get your test results after 10.30am. Please leave seven working days after your test (and at least two weeks after an x-ray) before contacting us.