Any NHS workers? What happens to positive test results?

babelfish

I recently had a blood test and, after waiting the appropriate time (a week or so) I rang to see if the results were there. They looked on the computer and said yes, there were some blood results and they were all negative.

In the meantime, I was also waiting for the result from a stool sample.:o I rang up for this today and they said the stool sample result hadn't arrived but there was a blood result showing positive and I needed to see the doctor!

What I wanted to know is what would have happened if I didn't ring up for the stool result - would I never have known about the positive blood one?

maysmummy

you don't specify what the tests were for but I would make an appointment to see your GP to get the full picture. Some tests- iron levels are an example- are not positive or negative, just a range which is considered normal.
HTH

funguy

All blood results will have a requesting clinician's name on them - that is the person they go back to (although other colleagues may receive them instead at times). They are responsible for actioning any positive results. This may only be done when all the other results are back to allow a full picture to be obtained. They may let you know by telephone or by letter. However, sometimes they will wait till you are next in the clinic or surgery as they may not be something that needs actioned there and then.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

And sometimes, different tests have to go to different labs, who report back at different times. For example, some antibodies associated with rheumatoid symptoms are tested at the local hospital's lab, some go to the next town, some the town after that and some the city after that.

When that happens, sometimes the doctor will decide to wait until all the results are back before notifying the details, otherwise you could be there three times (or more) for them.

babelfish

Thanks for your replies. I had a blood test for kidney, liver, thyroid, glucose, bone and ceoliac. I have an appointment later today and will find out which one is positive.

I was just wondering if a positive result gets forgotten about if the patient doesn't ring up and ask.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Shouldn't do. There is always the element of human error/oversight, but the procedures are designed to make sure that test results are not overlooked. Many wait until all the results are in before contacting you, some want you to contact them. Some doctors have the rule that they don't get in touch unless there is something that specifically needs action, but that has its own limitations as well - wondering if you have been overlooked, for example.

The tests you list are very likely to have been dealt with by different techies, even if they were all based at the same lab, so it would have been annoying (and possibly misleading) calling you in for one result without all the others back at the same time. (ie, wasting your time).

Hope you feel a bit more reassured by this.

Bunny

Some results take longer to get, thyroid tests for example can take a good few days, where as a full blood count takes 2 hours (when sent off in a hospital for an inpatient)
so it can vary, a stool sample can take a week, then if something has grown, they need to sort out any sensitivities, so they can give you the correct antibiotics/treatment

babelfish

Thanks for your replies. I visited the doctor yesterday and all results had come back normal. I got the impression that he thought I had been called in (I had rung and made an appointment after hearing that something had shown up positive). So this tells me that they would have rung me up soon if I hadn't jumped in there first.

Everything was normal and I haven't got an infection, but I may be a Coeliac and this was what showed up positive. Ive got an appointment to see the gastroentirologist. Im not too worried as long as this sorts my symptoms out in the end.