Test Results

Please call between 8.30am and 4.30pm on 01765 692366 option 3 to enquire about your test results as our administration staff will have more time to deal with your request between these times.

Note that the practice has a strict policy regarding confidentiality and data protection and we will only release test results to the person to whom they relate unless that person has given prior permission for the release of this data or they are not capable of understanding the results.

When you have your test you will be given an indication of how long it is likely to be before the results are returned to the practice. (Blood test and urine results usually take two working days and stool samples five working days to come back to the surgery).

It is your responsibility to ring in to check your results and to make an appointment to discuss them with your doctor if you are advised to do so.

DON'T FORGET: If you have signed up for Patient access you may view your results on line! (Please look at the "Online Test Results" tab for further information)

(If you have not yet signed up for patient on-line access, please see reception for details)

Online test results

From April 2016 it will be possible to view online the results of tests requested by GPs or practice nurses.

Results will be visible only when they have been seen by one of the doctors. The doctor will write a comment to explain the significance of the result. We will try to make these comments helpful and self-explanatory, and if any results require further actions you will be notified by phone or letter. We will not rely on patients seeing their results online unless this has been specifically agreed with you in advance.

The requirement to make results available online is a government initiative. We hope that it is useful but we have not received any additional resources to support this as an extra service.

We will make an explanation of common comments available here, and in-depth information is available at LabTestsOnline. We cannot provide a service to discuss the details of your results in person except where there is a clinical need to do so.

Blood Tests

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 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.

X-Ray

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 a 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.

A simple x-ray or ultrasound may be carried out at Ripon Community Hospital. More complicated requests will be sent to Harrogate Health Care Trust.

You can find out more about x-ray tests, how they are performed, their function and the risks by visiting the NHS Choices website.