Test results

Getting your test results

Once a doctor has reviewed your test results, you can view them:

Results normally take about a week to be sent to the surgery from the hospital lab.

Important

The demand for blood tests is greater than we can supply at the surgery. Priority is given to those patients who are particularly frail.

You may well be asked to get your blood test done at either the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading or Bracknell Healthspace. All appointments at these two clinics must be pre booked. To book an appointment please follow the link below:

www.swiftqueue.co.uk/royal_berkshire

Then follow the instructions to book an appointment.

Patients having blood tests done at the hospital will be asked to confirm the following information:

  • Date of Birth (DOB), name and address
  • NHS number (if known)

Once above details are confirmed by the patient, the phlebotomist will print the form and take the bloods. You do not need to take a form with you from the surgery as the request is made electronically by your clinician.

*Patients who are unable to confirm their details without assistance can arrange to bring a carer, interpreter, or family member with them.

Blood Tests for Children

We are no longer able to take blood for children up to and including the age of 11 at the surgery.

Children up to the age of 11 will have to book a blood test with Kempton Day Bed Unit – they can no longer attend the Path Lab as walk-in patients.

Clinics are held for five to 11-year-olds at Kempton. Clinics run on Tuesdays, 09:00 – 12:00 and Fridays, 13:00 – 16:00.

For children under five please contact Kempton Day Bed Unit for a date and time for the child to be seen. EMLA cream can be applied on the ward.

Telephone (booking): 0118 322 7512

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.   For some children, it may be more appropriate for the doctor to arrange the test  within a hospital based clinic.

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.

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