To find out your test results, please visit our Test Results triage.

If you have had a test carried out you are also able to phone the surgery after 14:00 for the results.

Results are looked at when they are returned to the practice by the doctor who requested the test. Your computer records will be updated so that our reception team can give you the result.

If the doctor has not asked you to make a further appointment following a test, please contact reception a week later to ensure that the result was satisfactory.

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.

If the blood test is for a private appointment, or for private IVF treatment, we cannot do this at the surgery. The walk in phlebotomy clinic at Bedford Hospital can do this for you and will invoice you direct.

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.