Marple Cottage Surgery - About medical tests and how to get your results

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If you need urgent medical assistance between 6.30pm - 8:00am (when the practice is closed) you should call 111 (please call 0161 476 2299 between 12:30 -13:30 on Tuesdays and 18:00 - 18:30 on Fridays). For more information about NHS111 please see link: http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/AboutNHSservices/doctors/Pages/out-of-hours-services.aspx

Named GP: As from June 2015 we are obliged to inform patients that they have a “named GP”. This has no bearing at all on which GP you currently see and / or wish to see in the future.

Test Results

test_results8 The majority of results for tests that are performed in the surgery are available in the practice a week after the test, although some specialised tests do take longer.

If the doctor wishes to see you to offer you further treatment, you will be contacted and asked to make an appointment or sent a prescription.

If you wish to know the result of a pregnancy test the reception team have been trained to provide you with it. Please contact the surgery and we will gladly give you the result of this test over the phone.

Please do not contact the surgery regarding any other tests.

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.

If you wish to view your test results, you can view them online. Click here for more information.

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.

RUClear offers free and confidential Chlamydia and Gonorrhoea postal testing service for people aged 16 to 24 years. RUclear is run by the NHS, the tests are of a high quality and are FREE.

If you would like further information on how to receive a testing kit please click here where you can request a kit be sent to your home.

RUClear offers free and confidential Chlamydia and Gonorrhoea postal testing service for people aged 16 to 24 years. RUclear is run by the NHS, the tests are of a high quality and are FREE.

If you would like further information on how to receive a testing kit please click here where you can request a kit be sent to your home.

Pre-Diabetes

Some patients have a blood sugar level which is higher than normal but not high enough to be called diabetes. This is called pre-diabetes and can be identified by blood sugar (glucose) tests.

Technically, pre-diabetes may result from one of three conditions called Impaired Fasting Glycaemia, Impaired Glucose Tolerance and Increased Glycated Haemoglobin. However, the effect is the same - it means raised blood sugar and a higher risk of getting diabetes and heart disease. Making changes to your lifestyle can delay or even prevent the development of type 2 diabetes and reduce the risk of heart disease too. This has been shown to reduce new cases of diabetes by about 50%.

People with pre-diabetes do not usually have any symptoms. It can be diagnosed by your practice nurse or general practitioner using a blood test.

Pre-Diabetes Patient Leaflet