Access Blood Results in Northern Ireland - Help Required Please.

[DGHT]

Northern Ireland - Difficulties accessing blood rests. Has anyone any documents to support access?

My GP reception refuses to print me off my blood tests and I have been quite assertive with them. They make me fill out a double sided form which asks me why I want access and they state they have 30 days to provide them. It is very frustrating!

I know in the UK we have a right to copies of our blood results but Northern Ireland seems to make up it's own rules so seeking advice on how to get GP surgery to provide them more quickly.

I have been waiting for copies of an MMA and Homosistene test for ages. They receptionist told me they were both 'normal' but refused to print them off, gave me the form to fill in and then told to wait 30 days for my copy. Then I get a phone call last week to say MMA actually wasn't back yet so the receptionist lied as I clearly stated which specific blood tests I wanted the results for and haven't had any GP blood tests for ages. Then I get a call this week to say the MMA sample was invalid (sent in wrong bottle which I worked out myself) and needs repeated but GP couldn't get through to Hospital Phlebotomy so could I sort it myself! Even with working in the hospital this was quite task difficult to achieve!!

Now I will have to wait 2-3 weeks for the test results to come back and prob fill in another form and wait 30 days again. If I hadn't physically requested the results, I feel sure they would have just left it. Then GPs wonder why I need to manage my own condition??

[humanbean]

This link from the BMA - British Medical Association - should help :

bma.org.uk/advice/employmen...

This should help too :

ico.org.uk/for-organisation...

[humanbean in reply to humanbean]

Please note that your surgery and its staff are breaking the law!

[DGHT in reply to humanbean]

Thanks lots, they are definitely breaking the law by making me fill in a form each time and asking me why I want my blood results; they should only be concerned with the what, not the why. They point black refused to accept a verbal request, even when I have told them that is the law. Will keep the info to hand for next time to show them. They could print of the results for the next day but instead they choose to interpret the law how they want and have you wait the maximum number of days.

[humanbean in reply to DGHT]

It is possible that the staff have been told to do what they are doing by their employers (the doctors at the surgery). With conflicting instructions from the law and their employer it possibly isn't surprising that they worry about their job rather than the law. Who are they going to believe? You or their boss? I know the answer to that if I was in your shoes *sigh*. It is a good idea to always take proof of identity with you when you request copies of any information from your medical records.

If you get no further with the receptionists I would give up on them rather than getting into a fight. Having an argument about it will just get you labelled as an awkward patient. I would suggest writing a letter, keeping a copy for yourself, sending it by registered delivery and make sure to ask for a proof of posting. Send the letter to your doctor (not the receptionists) including the relevant bits (the actual text, not just the links - although include the links as well) from those links I gave you earlier.

[DGHT in reply to humanbean]

Thank you, will write a letter and see if this helps.

[SlowDragon Ambassador]

Wasn't aware you could get MMA or homocysteine tested on NHS, other than in London

Postal kit

nutris.viapath.co.uk/pages/...

[DGHT in reply to SlowDragon]

They were £200 to do private via Medichecks (too expensive for me) so I asked GP but my GP didn't know about the tests at all (recommended on forum as Active B12 is falling and close to 70) but my local hospital phlebotomy said they could take the blood but it would be transported to Belfast for testing. No idea if the tests actually take place in Belfast or are out sourced to elsewhere. Homocysteine is documented on our Phlebotomy guides locally at ward level but not MMA but my local hospital lab did advise on how MMA should be taken and transported etc. Time will tell if I actually get a result. It definitely went in the correct collection bottle this time and I physically delivered it from phlebotomy to my local hospital lab on Ice myself, as GP did agree I could have it done.

[Jump1 in reply to DGHT]

Same thing has happened to me with Newry GP. Obv u cant mention names on this site. But what a pig. I do wonder if his wife who is a gp is as bad. They didnt give me them. I moved surgeries.

[DGHT in reply to Jump1]

I know Jump1 it is so frustrating being denied knowledge of your own health. I recently got my full medical history notes after applying in writing and waiting weeks obviously, and it is clear from reading that I had been struggling with symptoms of Hashimoto's for years but my TPO antibodies was never tested until my TSH went over 10 by any GP or specialist I was under the care of.

[DGHT in reply to DGHT]

Thank you SlowDragon for the link , £140 would cheaper for the nutrient test, if for some reason I don't get the result of the MMA from my GP. I did not know about this avenue of blood testing as I am relatively knew to this, learning so much from you and others on the forum, so I may well use this in the future.