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)
- by using the online service
- phone on 0151 546 2480 after 2pm
NHS App
Non-urgent advice: Please Note
It is the patient’s responsibility to follow up on their test results.
Blood and urine test results usually take about one week to come back to the practice.X-rays, CT scans, MRIs, and ultrasounds might take up to 2 weeks. Sometimes, samples like faeces and swabs can take up to 6 weeks.
The clinician will look at the results within 7 days of them returning to the practice.
If your test was done somewhere else like a clinic or hospital, you’ll need to call them for the results. We can’t action tests ordered by outside clinics or hospitals.
Blood Tests
A blood test is when blood is taken from your body and tested in a lab. It’s a common test that doctors use for lots of things. For instance, they can use a blood test 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
When you have a blood test, the person doing it, called a Phlebotomist, usually takes a small bit of blood from a vein in your arm. They often do this from the inside of your elbow or wrist because the veins are easy to see there; but for kids, they might take blood from the back of the hand. Before they do, they put special cream on the hand to make it numb, so it doesn’t hurt as much. Sometimes, if it’s better for the child, the doctor might do the test at a hospital instead.
You can find out more about blood tests, their purpose and the way they are performed on the NHS Choices website.
X-Ray
An X-ray is a special test doctors use to see inside your body.
It’s really good for finding issues with bones, like if you’ve broken one. It can also spot problems with soft parts of the body, as well as pneumonia or breast cancer.
When you have an X-ray, you’ll lie on a table or stand against something while the machine takes pictures.
A person called a radiographer, who’s an expert in using machines like X-rays, usually does the X-ray or ultrasound.
You can find out more about x-ray tests, how they are performed, their function and the risks by visiting the NHS Choices website.