Test results may be obtained over the telephone.

Please ring between 10:00am - 12:00pm and 14:00pm - 17:00pm to speak with a receptionist who will read the health professionals' comments from the screen.

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 if they are not capable of understanding the results, these will be released to a parent, guardian or carer.

When you take your test you should be told how long it will be before the results are returned to the practice. In general, we quote 3 days for simple blood tests, 1-3 weeks for complex blood tests, 3-5 days for urine, swabs and faeces tests and a week for x-ray tests.

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

A blood test is when a sample of blood is taken and sent 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. The usual place for a sample to be taken from 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 on the NHS Choices website.

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 an 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.