Sorry quick question- I asked my GP surgery for a print out of my tests results - as advised on here and so that I can keep a record.
They said I need to place it in writing which ones I want and it’s a £10.”0 fee. I obviously want them all but just wanted to check if others had to pay also.
Thank you!
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If you are in the UK then you can get your blood test results online at no cost. Your GP surgery should be able to arrange this by giving you a password to access the online service. If you ask for a printout, the surgery may charge and £10 is a reasonable charge for paper, ink and time. However, all surgeries in ENgland had to make online blood tests available by 2015 so if they have not done this and you have no option to log in and get online blood test results then it begs the question whether they should be charging you. If you, however, choose to get a print out rather than going online to access results then it seems reasonable to levy the charge.
Thank you! I live in Wales so will definitely ask this at my docs app next week
Don't know if Wales is different than England so you might have to pay out. You could just ring and check with reception, they should know.
I live in Wales and we don't have online access for anything at all at my surgery, according to their latest surgery leaflet they are waiting until "they are satisfied the new technologies are safe, effective and can be kept confidential". Huh!!!!
I am lucky with my surgery as I can just go to the reception desk and ask for a print out of my latest test results and 30 seconds later it's in my hands with no charge whatsoever. Not every surgery is that obliging though.
Check out this article on accessing your medical records here thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/NHS_In...
I was brought up in Wales and now live in France. I don't know who is more behind the times though probably France they still pay with a cheque at the Super Markets!
I live in Wales .
Apparently, most prectices in Wales provide ‘myhealthonline’, which enables you to book appointments, alter personal details etc and order repeat prescriptions, but does not currently provide access to test results . You can find out more about this here wales.nhs.uk/nwis/page/52549 . It includes a link enabling you to check the services provided by your local surgery
I’ve never been charged for a printout of test results, although there is a slight complication in that tests ordered by the endo are supposed to be provided by the clinic, and the endos in the clinic tend to use their own laptops which aren’t typically hooked up to the clinic printer (doh!) However, they are still supposed to provide results on request. I’ve usually just had T3, t4 and TSH, so am happy to jot them down from the endo’s screen, but this wouldn’t work so well if you’d had lots of tests done
I know some local GPs charge around £60 for a complete printout of records, but that’s a huge bundle, so not altogether unreasonable.
Hi Nanaedake,
I have registered with my surgery online and I can make appointments and see my medical records but cannot view test results.
I asked the receptionist yesterday, why I could not see blood results and she said we do not have that facility. Should they have that facitly?
NHS medical records – getting them.
nhs.uk/NHSEngland/thenhs/re...
Thank you for the link, so by now we should be able to test results?
Well, show them the document and say that the other people on Thyroid UK forum in England can access their blood test results so please could they organise for you to view yours. After all it will save the doctor time and effort if you can do that yourself. The document is not quite clear whether it is blood test results or other information but blood test results are the least trouble for them to organise so I should think they ought to at least have complied with that by 2015.
Many thanks, so should every surgery have the facility by 2018 even if they did not have them in 2015?
I pay for the price of printing (in England). The results are yours. It’s not like you’re asking for a report but it could be different inWales x
Hi I live in Hull. I always ask for a copy of my blood/ urine/xrays etc.,. In the beginning they weren't very happy even though I know I have a right to a copy of everything. What makes me annoyed is one receptionist asks for 40p a page while the other 20p. They drop the money quite openly into there tea money container.!!!
I live in northern Ireland and I didn't have to pay for my results
That’s interesting seasidesusie that you also live in Wales. I see the gp on fri as it’s 6 weeks on my meds (my first 6 weeks) so I will ask her and if needs be il ask her to let me have a look and jot them down!
Thank you all
Make sure you get the reference ranges too, eg
TSH: 2.5 (0.2-4.7)
FT4: 12 (7-17)
They vary from lab to lab so ranges are important for proper interpretation of tests.
I’ve never had to pay, I was just told to come in the afternoon when they were quiet.
You could do what Treeoie suggests and photograph the screens with your mobile or an iPad. That would be quick.
The iPhone pic is a fab idea- quick and I can start a file on my phone!
I have never had to pay, last time just rang up at what is surposed to be a quite time and picked them up shortly after, the printout was waiting for me in a envelope at reception.
I am in England and saw my doctor a couple of days ago. I asked her for a printout of my blood test results and she was fine with it and immediately printed them off for me.
I know if you want to have copies of your medical notes though they do charge. x
That is a rip-off - complain to the morning programme 'Its a Rip-off Britain' my surgery charges 30p per sheet.
I used to have to pay 30p for each printed b&w page, however much or little print was on the page - this was at a time when it was estimated that a page of solid colour print cost 40p so I still considered it a rip off, but tolerable. I consider printing a b&w page often with just a TSH result on it, for most people, and charging £10.00 to be nothing other than profiteering - it takes a minute of a receptionist's time at most, so if a receptionist is being costed out at £600 per hour, something's very wrong. However my surgery no longer charges at all, but whether that was as a result of an internal decision or external directive, I don't know. Last week I asked for an extra copy of my thyroid results to send to my Cardio, and there was no demurring.
No they haven't but I did wonder about this as on my envelope I went to collect last time it said .. No Fee.
I was charged 50pence. But I did wonder at the time if that was only because I asked. It was just one page with little writing.
For comparison The library only charges 5pence per A4 photo copy or computer print out.
I had hospital records, for free, in the past - by applying in writing within 40 days of being seen.
Two things you could do :
When you phone to ask for results, you can ask them to read out full details ie actual numbers, ranges in brackets and any comments, while you write everything down.
Or /and - write and ask for a copy of your medical records under the Data Protection Act and say you understand there will be no charge because you were seen recently (ie within the last 40 days). See what they say - they may still maintain that they could charge for paper and work involved. But you should get everything.
I'm not sure what the current situation is now though - you could check the Date Protection Act or contact the Information Commissioner's Office to enquire.
You could also ask your GP, next time you see them , for a copy or to write them down for you.
I wouldn't pay £10 for a one - page print out.
Here in Hull the receptionists wouldn't have time to read out blood results with reference numbers. We sometimes have to wait 3/4 weeks for GP appointment
I am in wales. Not charged for my blood printouts, I think that price is ridiculous. Ask to see on screen and photograph
no. I just got mine by going to the surgery and asking. I am in Scotland.
I have never paid for a print out. It’s outrageous that you should be charged £10.
I live in Scotland and my GP charged me £10 to access the bloodtests results and 25p per sheet. They said it was because it was for my own information. They provide them free if they are to take to another NHS appointment. They also said they don't have the facility for me to view them online myself. I'll try asking to see them myself and take photo as suggested 😀 Thank you for that idea!!
Hi. Recently I’ve had a lot of results printed and l have not been charged for them. That doesn’t mean that I won’t be charged in the future.
From 1st May the Data Protection Act (DPA) is being replaced by the EU inspired General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) which includes rules about fees which can be levied. The following has been copied straight from the regulations...
What is the purpose of the right of access under GDPR?
The GDPR clarifies that the reason for allowing individuals to access their personal data is so that they are aware of and can verify the lawfulness of the processing (Recital 63).
Can I charge a fee for dealing with a subject access request?
You must provide a copy of the information free of charge. However, you can charge a ‘reasonable fee’ when a request is manifestly unfounded or excessive, particularly if it is repetitive.
You may also charge a reasonable fee to comply with requests for further copies of the same information. This does not mean that you can charge for all subsequent access requests.
The fee must be based on the administrative cost of providing the information.
But how a surgery will interpret this I wouldn't like to say. Who's to say how they'll define "manifestly unfounded or excessive" or "repetitive"?
Achilles_Pain That useful to know, but I'd agree with you, those adjectives are open to a variety of (mis)interpretations - if a medic has a belief that patients don't need to have accurate information about their health, as evidenced by them advising patients that their results are "fine" or "normal", I'd guess any request for actual numbers could be perceived as manifestly unfounded, lol.
I forgot to say that in France they take the blood one day and you receive the results in the post the next. Only one problem where I live I can't get the blood test I require so back to square one again.
I'm in England and don't have to pay. I justify needing them as my endo can't see any of the test results I have through my GP.
Hi I can go on my GPS website and look at my results online so no I don't have to pay
I'm in England and have to pay £2 per single sided sheet. The practice is a large one and set up for patient access but won't add access to test results despite requests. I spoke with the Patient Association but was told there is no legal requirement to provide the results fee free and no regulation on charges - so sadly it is a nice earner for some.
Please contact the Patient Online Team your practice is in breach of their GP contract. It has been regulation since March 2016 to provide test results. I have worked with the Patient Online Team and they will work with HealthUnlocked patients to sort this out.
england.patient-online@nhs.net
That is disgusting you have a right to your medical records
All patients in NHS England have had the right to access their Detailed Coded Medical Record Online since March 2016
I also live in Wales & my surgery, which is completely unhelpful with any thyroid treatment, just printed out my test results in seconds & free of charge 
No I have never had to pay for blood result print outs at my GP. That seems way over the top!
no charge for me but I do know my GPs and everyone else in the practice. GP agreed I could have them and no-one requested any money. I've had them twice now.
I ask at reception for a print out of my blood test results,and am given them , as I wait, no charge.
Look at posts by DJR1
He/she has an interest in people being given access to their medical info and has posted lots of information on the subject. I'm not sure if Wales is covered though, it may just be England.
If I ask for a copy of my test results the practice tries to charge me £10, which I refuse to pay since this is profiteering. If my husband asks for a copy of his results from the same practice, he is not charged.
Just because I'm paranoid, doesn't mean they don't have it in for me. 
Do not pay, you should be able to access all your test results for free by registering for Patient Access “Detailed Coded Medical Record Access”. Ask receptionist for an application form.
If this turns out to be a problem please contact the Patient Online Team and mention HeathUnlocked they will sort out any problems. Please see all my previous posts on this subject. Your GP practice should be advertising and promoting this service to you if they don’t they are in breach of their GP contract.
After May 2018 these charges will be against the new data regulations.
Hi I live in Cambridgeshire and no my surgery does not charge for a print out of any results.
Thank you everyone- ridiculous that Wales and England have a different rule yet same government making these rules....
How much easier it would be if everyone could access their own data online - would free up receptionists reading out test results over the phone for a start.
Mine doesn't charge yet if I go online they aren't even listed there!
As the situation with regards to charging changed on 25th May 2018 after the majority of this post, I shall be closing this post to replies.
The EU-wide GDPR (enacted as Data Protection Act 2018) effectively prohibits charges for such data. You should be able to request the information and have it supplied in an appropriate form. You cannot be required to fill a special form or make your request in any specific way. You might be asked to fill a form and it would very likely be of mutual benefit for you to know your request has been received such that the surgery has the necessary information and know what to do with it. It would probably be sensible to cooperate at that level.
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