Whitesands Medical Practice - About medical tests and how to get your results

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We are receiving a large number of telephone calls with queries about flu and Covid vaccinations. Please note our surgery is not giving these vaccines, nor do we have information regarding clinics or appointments. All vaccinations are being handled by the NHS Lothian vaccination team. Further information is available from the Vaccination Team (click on link).

Test results

Blood tests

X-ray

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 call the surgery between 2pm and 4pm once sufficient time has elapsed.

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.

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
see how well certain organs, such as the liver and kidneys, are functioning
confirm the presence of an infection

Blood tests are only performed when they are medically necessary and must be requested or authorised by your GP or nurse.

If a hospital doctor or clinic has asked you to have a blood test taken then this blood test would normally be arranged by the doctor that has asked for the test. This might be at the hospital clinic, or at a blood test 'Monitoring Clinic' at East Lothian Community Hospital, or sometimes with the CTACS (Community Treatment And Care Service) team.

A blood test usually involves the phlebotomist (person who takes blood samples) taking a sample from a blood vessel in your arm. The usual place for a sample is the inside of the elbow, where the veins are close to the surface. Blood samples from children are sometimes taken from the back of the hand. The child's hand can be anaesthetised (numbed) with a special cream before the sample is taken.

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.

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Test results

Blood tests

X-ray

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