Woodchurch Surgery - About medical tests and how to get your results

Test Results

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 contact the surgery after sufficient time has elapsed. Please submit your request via eConsult or, if you are unable to access eConsult, call for test results after 10am.

Our reception staff are not qualified to comment on results therefore it is your responsibility to check them and make any necessary follow-up appointment with the doctor.

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.

What are patient need groups?

Patient need groups categorise patients into different groups based on the complexity and intensity of their healthcare needs rather than just their medical conditions. Instead of focusing solely on a diagnosis (like diabetes or heart failure) it takes into account a broader range of health characteristics a patient may have (such as number of repeat prescriptions, A&E attendances and number of long term conditions). To begin with, we will roll out PNG scores to those patients with highest needs and you may therefore not find a PNG score in your NHS app unless you would be categorised as PNG 10 or 11.

As patient needs change over time, their categories change with them. PNG numbers therefore offer an indication of a patient's background health at a point in time.

PNGs

Blood Tests

blood_tests_4 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

doctor examining an 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.

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

Test Results

What are patient need groups?

Blood Tests

X-Ray

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