Blood test results

[border13]

I had my annual Blood pressure review on Monday. I also had blood taken and the nurse wants to have an non urgent phone consultation regarding my blood results but she is unable to speak to me until next Thursday. I asked the receptionist if she could tell me but she said no. Does anyone think it’s a long time to wait?

[Dolphin14]

I do

[Sunnie2day in reply to Dolphin14]

Dolphin, you're in the USA - things are a little different over here in the UK and I think that's why the nurse wanted the receptionist who telephoned to use the phrase 'non-urgent'. Over here that's code for 'Yer not dying, stay calm and I'll see you on (insert a week or so wait for the appointment)'.

I spent my entire working career in the USA and have to admit I miss those days of having blood drawn - 'Please have a seat in the waiting room, MrsSunnie, until we have your results'.

American medical practice offices have their own labs, their own X-ray, and a number of other pieces of medical miracle equipment to give patients a fast answer.

Over here bloods can be drawn and a resting ECG can be done, but it's a rare surgery with on-site labs and other tech. Even simple bloods have to be sent out and results can take days-weeks to arrive back to the GP or practice nurse.

For example, need an x-ray? Gotta go to A&E if it's 'urgent' or book at one of the larger units (usually a hospital or dedicated testing facility unit), and the booking can take weeks to organise if non-urgent. LOL - I had an acute flare of my recurrent pericarditis (ok, it wasn't so funny at the time) and booking the echo took so long by the time I got to the appointment and was on the table I actually apologised to the tech for 'taking up' her time - I was nearly over the flare by then.

[Dolphin14 in reply to Sunnie2day]

Sunnie

Yes the systems are different. I'm learning the differences the more I read.

Are test results that are non urgent sent in the mail? Just curious. To me I read non urgent as there is something we need to talk about. But it's not going to kill you. I read normal as we don't need to have a discussion.

Just me being me lol

Thank you for responding and I'm glad the pericarditis improved before the echo lol

[Sunnie2day in reply to Dolphin14]

It really is funny now - by the time I was in the cardiologist office (about three weeks after the echo) the first thing he said to me was 'What are you doing here?!'. By then I was not only ambulatory but so recovered I was able to keep up with him on the walk from the wait area to his exam room/office (he's a speed-walker).

The way patients receive results here is dependent on the trust (region) policies and the individual surgery (practice) policies - some trusts and surgeries will send the results in a letter, some will post the results online at a nifty thing some surgeries have gone to called 'Patient Access' which only the surgery and the patient have access to (data and privacy). Others will telephone, and depending on how busy the surgery is, the patient will hear 'Everything is fine, go on with what you're doing' or 'It's non-urgent but we'd like to talk to you in person' or 'Please come in right now' (meaning 'it's urgent and we need you in an exam room today!').

As I wrote, I do miss those US days of quicker results. But oh my I do not miss those eye-wateringly expensive health insurance premiums! My 'private insurance' here costs me an eighth - yes, an eighth - of what I was paying in the US, and is as comprehensive (including catastrophic) as the US policy was. Same with dental care here, btw.

[Dolphin14 in reply to Sunnie2day]

Thank you for taking the time to explain.

Yes, prices are a problem here. But, I do like the turn around time. If things change it's going to be a big adjustment that's for sure.

Stay well

[Lezzers in reply to Sunnie2day]

I think we must be really lucky, Kevin's bloods are taken at surgery & sent off to the hospital lab, results are always back the next morning.

[Sunnie2day in reply to Lezzers]

You ARE lucky! Bloods up here in my area can take over a week unless marked 'urgent' and then results are usually back in a 'mere' 48 hours. I think it depends on the trust, I really do - 'postcode lottery' isn't a joke, really.

[Lezzers in reply to Sunnie2day]

It really must be postcode lottery. Kevins been having blood tests pretty much every 2/4 weeks for months now. I think he's always told its 48hrs wait but it's never taken that long. Bloods are taken one day and the surgery usually ring him the next morning with results & to book the next lot. I thought maybe because we're a lowish population area, but I think you're also in a similar area.

[Sunnie2day in reply to Lezzers]

I am in a low population town, and the surgery is one of the few in the trust with no overload. But we're a very small town (village really but we do cling onto that 'town' title ) in a rather large trust area - bloods are sent down to Dundee to join a quite long queue. Dundee being the fourth largest city in Scotland and drawing on a quite large population all on its own, so adding in all the rest of us really lengthens the queue for everything medical-dental.

[border13]

Thanks I think so too but I suppose I will just have to wait.

[Calliope153]

Happened to me too had to wait ten days- but you know it is non urgent and they are only offering you a phone call. Nothing too awful or you would be in for a face to face appointment. Receptionists mean well but one told me my blood tests showed low iron and I needed to see the doctor - as it turned out got an appointment and the doctor said actually your iron is too high.....

[border13 in reply to Calliope153]

True it’s obviously nothing awful. I am very impatient I need to know everything immediately. I need to be more chill😌

[Dolphin14 in reply to border13]

I'm like you. I want those results, " urgent or non urgent"

I have a portal system set up with my pcp office. I also can log into the lab itself to get results.

Last time I had blood drawn I had the results before my MD did. I emailed her with a few questions.

[barniecroft]

I signed up to patient access which enables you to see your results as soon as they are published which is helpful. If any action is needed you still have to have contact to take that forward, but at least it gives you some insight beforehand. You would need to check with your practice they are signed and you need to take in some ID but I find it helpful.

[border13 in reply to barniecroft]

I will look into this thanks.

[Kristin1812 Heart Star]

Hard to do, I know, but as she said it’s non-urgent, I’d try not to worry.

[MumaLines]

Stop worrying if it’s non urgent xxx

[Hidden]

The fact that she wants a non urgent chat regarding your blood tests is reassuring, it’s probably something that she wants to monitor. If you live in England you can have an online link to the doctors and that way you can see the results for yourself, plus it’s easier to make your own appointments ❤️

[Sunnie2day]

'Non-urgent'=yer not in immediate danger. The nurse was trying to reassure you by using that phrase, and as the others have said here, it means you're ok enough to continue on.

Good on the receptionist who spoke with you to have passed on that 'non-urgent' phrase, and to have had the courage to tell you 'No, sorry, you'll have to speak with the nurse about your results' - sometimes receptionists forget they're not medically trained and should not be giving results to patients, ever.

I know the 21st seems a long wait but keep reminding yourself the nurse says 'non-urgent' and that's a very good thing.

[Rocketstorm]

Agree with above, it's non urgent so try not to worry too much.

In my experience (which is obviously different to some of the people already replied), that isn't too long to wait. If we need an appointment the earliest we can often get is 2 or 3 weeks later. We have a thing where we can call from 8am and try and get an appointment but they are limited throughout the day. Also it's no waiting system so I've literally called over 300 times to be told they have no appointments left, even though I've called from 8am and it could be something relating my heart.

I waited over 6 months to get the results of my MRI - which in fact came from a receptionist who was arguing with my mother as they'd refused to give me an appointment. My mum had said it was urgent as it was regarding my brain and the receptionist blurted out that they "look fine". Again not qualified to say that plus I'm 19 so it's a breach of my confidentiality.

I don't know if I just have a bad drs office but only having to wait until next Thursday seems great to me.

Hope you're well and sorry for this long message! Trying to get across how a wait till Thursday is good for some!

[Prada47]

Hi like barniecroft

I can have access to my Blood Test results next day ( normally ) . It doesn't matter who requested GP or Heart Nurse

I Just log onto our GPs website and look at my records. I can then print out the results and compare to previous test !!! On the results it usually shows the Range so you can see which one is out of kilter !!!

Regards

[Lezzers in reply to Prada47]

Same as our surgery. If there's a problem the GP always rings within a day or 2

[Dickydon]

It's disgusting when these supposedly sympathetic healthcare professionals do this, knowing that this could cause stress or worse to the patient having to wait this length of time for results discussions even though the patient has been told we need to talk.

It may be helpful if you have online access to your medical records with your GP's and hospital, it means when blood is done you can see the results most often within 24hrs yourself and intelligently look at them yourself.

I have this access with my GP's Centre and and hospital, it's a great service; you can make appointments; order medication and so on...

[Hidden in reply to Dickydon]

Same here I use the patient access app on my phone. I can see my blood results the same day and hospital/ consultant letters to the GP.

[Dickydon in reply to Hidden]

Yes, it's an excellent service. But some older folk, like my mum, may not be so lucky though, as they may not have a computer/mobile phone/tablet etc... to access their information.

[Hidden in reply to Dickydon]

Yes your right

[Sunnie2day in reply to Dickydon]

I'm sorry, but I have to giggle at 'some older folks...' - I'm 63 and was writing Fortran and Cobol in 1974 At my last assignment (department head statistician) before retirement I constantly had to go in and repair 'fat finger' errors on our MySQL database.

'some older people...', that's so sweet, thank-you

[Dickydon in reply to Sunnie2day]

All in good humour. My 85yr old mum calls me a cheeky "so and so" for even mentioning her age. 🥴

[Hidden]

Sounds like it might be a good idea to get the Americans into the NHS. All I got was a phone call from the doctor, which only really gave me the impression that he didn't want to stay on long, this being only a few months since we quite a decent "heart to heart". Quite depressing really.

[Sunnie2day in reply to Hidden]

The US has a programme like our NHS - it's called MediCare (for 65+ers)/MedicAid but it is income and age assessed, and has not got the best reputation.

Most Americans either have private insurance (unspeakably expensive) or 'wing it' hoping for the best/paying out of pocket at point of service to be seen at point of service, or in the event of a catastrophic illness, racking up horrendous hospital bills they will never be able to pay off.

[Hidden in reply to Sunnie2day]

So how much are the fee's? Sounds too bad to be true!

[Sunnie2day in reply to Hidden]

US private insurance fees, you mean? If that is what you meant, when I left the US in August 2010 I was paying $800 per month (BlueCross-BlueShield) - full coverage including catastrophic, dental, and vision. When my youngest was still home and in uni the coverage was $1250 per month.

My policies (while the lad was still home and then after) were considered 'gold standard', less comprehensive policies are available and a simple 'catastrophic' policy that only covers accidents and diabetes, cancer or heart disease was costing around $400 at the time for one person, and around $600 for a family.

Those prices for my policies were at 'group rate' prices. I got 'discounted' premiums thanks to my employer being part of a group. I had self-employed friends who paid twice what I was paying as they weren't under a group umbrella.

[R1100S1]

Bloods taken in morning at our surgery = call next day saying normal don’t worry, not urgent but can you make appointment or when can you call in as need to see you. I had a call saying can you get to A&E today recently

Plus we can see results within a day or so on website

[Hidden in reply to R1100S1]

Where in the country are you?

[R1100S1 in reply to Hidden]

Bradford- gods own county 😊

[Lezzers in reply to R1100S1]

Same with our surgery, bloods taken and results the next day. If its something the GP wants to discuss the GP calls within a day or 2. If more tests are needed the receptionist phones the same morning to make another appt.

[MichaelJH Heart Star]

We have a website where we can enquire but we get no numbers back. The reply comes within a few hours but says little more than "within range" or "make an appointment to discuss"!