Chastleton Medical Group - About medical tests and how to get your results

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Chastleton Mission Statement
At Chastleton, our mission is to provide the highest possible standard of care to all of our patients.

Appointments
Appointments can either be booked up to two weeks in advance (non-urgent or review) or booked on the day (acute or urgent problems).

Out of Hours
If you require urgent attention or advice, telephone 111. If possible, have a pen and paper handy.

Test Results
Please could you telephone the surgery for your results on 0191 3846171 between 2pm and 4pm Monday to Friday.

Cancelling Your Appointment
If you are unable to attend an appointment with one of the doctors or nurses, please telephone or use the link at the bottom of this page to cancel your appointment.

Named Accountable GP
All patients now have a named accountable GP who is responsible for patients overall care at the practice. If you wish to know who your named accountable GP is, please ask at reception. Please note that although all patients have been allocated a named accountable GP, patients are able to see any GP they like and are not restricted to the GP they have been allocated.

We Teach Medical Students
We are a teaching practice for Sunderland University medical students and are proud to be involved in training tomorrow's doctors. As a result, students may lead or observe your appointment. If you would rather not see medical students, please inform reception. Your care will in no way be affected by this.

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 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.

Tests you have done are normally processed at the laboratories at University Hospital of North Durham. This will take a few days, following which they will be returned to our surgery for comment by your doctor.

The result should usually be ready for you 7 days after having your tests.

Please could you telephone the surgery for your results between 2.00pm and 4.00pm, Monday to Friday on 0191 3846171.

If your result is normal you will be given the result over the telephone by one of the reception staff. If the doctor needs to speak to you about the result, you will be asked to either make an appointment with the doctor or will be asked to ring back at a mutually convenient time.

The most common tests are described below:

FBC- A test looking at the blood cells, often used to exclude anaemia
ESR- A test that looks for inflammation in the body
U & E- Testing for the kidney function and salts in the body
LFT- Tests the liver function and inflammation
TFT- Tests the activity of the thyroid gland
CHOLESTEROL/LIPIDS- Measures the fatty levels in the blood
LH/FSH- Measures hormone levels raised after the menopause
MSU- A test looking for infection in the bladder
URATE- A test for gout
IM/GLANDULAR FEVER- Specific tests for glandular fever
HBA1C- Measures the average sugar level over the last few weeks and months
ANTENATAL BLOODS- Blood group/rubella immunity and specific infections
AUTOANTIBODIES/RHEUMATOID FACTOR- Tests for proteins that result in damage to specific tissues in the body
SWABS- Tests that detect whether an infection is present and if detected which antibiotic is appropriate

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 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 website.

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