If a clinician has arranged for blood tests or x-rays then they will usually tell you when to phone back for the result. As a rough guide, blood results usually take 3-4 days and x-rays and scans 2 weeks.

We ask that you phone for results between 14:00 and 16:00 each day. This gives the clinicians a chance to review the day’s results and prevents the phone lines from being as busy when other patients are trying to get through for appointments. Please note that we cannot give out test results at the reception desk due to lack of privacy.

WE CAN NOT RETRIEVE OR ADVISE ON ANY RESULTS DONE AT ANY HOSPITAL CLINIC! PLEASE CONTACT THE HOSPITAL CLINIC DIRECTLY.

Receptionists can give out most results once approved by the clinician. These will usually be marked as either "satisfactory" or "make appointment". Please do not phone for other people's results as we are bound by rules of confidentiality, unless you are the patient power of attorney or the patient has signed a form allowing you to speak on their behalf.

A blood test is when a sample of blood is taken for testing in a laboratory. Blood tests have a wide range of uses and are one of the most common types of medical test. For example, a blood test can be used to:

• assess your general state of health
• confirm the presence of a bacterial or viral infection
• see how well certain organs, such as the liver and kidneys, are functioning

A blood test usually involves the phlebotomist taking a blood sample from a blood vessel in your arm and the usual place for a sample is the inside of the elbow or wrist, where the veins are relatively close to the surface. Blood samples from children are most commonly taken from the back of the hand. The childs hand will be anaesthetised (numbed) with a special cream before the sample is taken.

You can find out more about blood tests, their purpose and the way they are performed on the NHS Inform Website.

An X-ray is a widely used diagnostic test to examine the inside of the body. X-rays are a very effective way of detecting problems with bones, such as fractures. They can also often identify problems with soft tissue, such as pneumonia or breast cancer.

If you have an X-ray, you will be asked to lie on a table or stand against a surface so that the part of your body being X-rayed is between the X-ray tube and the photographic plate.

An X-ray is usually carried out by a radiographer, a healthcare professional who specialises in using imaging technology, such as X-rays and ultrasound scanners.

You can find out more about x-ray tests, how they are performed, their function and the risks by visiting the NHS Choices website.