In this article:
Having a medical test
Your clinician might recommend you to have a medical test to:
- Find out what’s causing your symptoms
- Screen for a specific condition or health problem
- Check your general health
- Monitoring of a long term condition or if you are on certain medications
The process will be different depending on the type of test, but you’ll usually need to visit one of our clinics.
Getting your test results
We’ll usually get your results in 1 or 2 weeks, but it depends on the circumstances and type of test you have.
How long it takes to receive certain test results:
- Blood test results: 5 days (it’ll take longer for some tests, such as tests for rheumatology conditions like arthritis)
- X-rays: 1 to 2 weeks
- Toenail clippings: 4 weeks
- Stool (poo) sample: 10 days
- Urine and swabs: 5 days
If you’re having a test for more than one condition, the results may come back at different times.
If your results are normal
In line with standard NHS practice, we won’t contact you if your results are normal.
If you haven’t heard anything in 2 weeks (4 weeks for toenail clipping tests), you can assume your result is normal.
If we need to discuss your results
You’ll get a text message or call explaining what you need to do. Try not to worry, this doesn’t always mean the results are serious.
How to get a copy of your test results
To request a copy of a test result, please contact our support team.