After you have attended for a blood test or provided a sample, please wait 2 weeks before contacting the surgery if you have not had your results communicated. Please note that some test results may take longer to return from the lab.

We will contact every patient regarding your test results to let you know if it was normal or if you need to speak to a clinician or have some repeat tests.

Our admin staff will pass on results written by the GP but are not qualified to comment on them. If you wish to discuss them, please make a follow-up appointment with the doctor/nurse who arranged them.

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.

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 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.

Children under 12 years old will need to go to Childrens Development Centre, City Hospital, Hucknall Road, Nottinghamshire, NG5 1PB to have their blood taken - NG5 1PB - Google Maps

The doctor will request the bloods your child needs and leave the request form at reception - this MUST be taken to their appointment, they will also do a prescription for EMLA cream - this is a local anaesthesia.

To book your child an appointment you will need to ring 0300 123 3387 Option 3

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.