Test results

What are urine samples used for?

Your GP or another healthcare professional may ask for a urine sample to help them diagnose or rule out health conditions. Urine contains waste products that are filtered out of the body. If it contains anything unusual, this may indicate an underlying health condition. Common reasons for being asked to provide a urine sample include;

• to diagnose or monitor certain conditions such as type 2 diabetes
• to check for a urinary tract infection (UTI)
• to check for a sexually transmitted infection (STI)
• to confirm that you are pregnant

What do I need to know about collecting a urine sample?

If you are in the practice your GP or nurse will give you a container and explain  how to collect a urine sample. If you have received a message from the practice to provide a urine sample, you may collect a sample container from our reception desk.

To collect a clean urine sample you should:

• label the container with your name, date of birth and the date
• wash your hands
• wash your genitalia to avoid contamination
• start to urinate but don’t collect the first part of urine that comes out
• collect a sample of urine ‘mid-stream’ in a sample container provided by the practice
• screw the lid of the container shut
• wash your hands thoroughly

As long as the sample is clean and properly labelled you can drop the sample container in at the reception desk. If you can’t hand your urine sample in within an hour, you should keep it in a sealed plastic bag in the fridge (for no longer than 24 hours) to prevent bacteria multiplying and affecting the test results.

Early morning urine specimens are more concentrated and the most useful. However if this isn’t possible urine passed later in the day can be examined.

What is a mid-stream urine sample?

A mid-stream urine sample means that you don’t collect the first part of urine that comes out or the last part. This reduces the risk of the sample being contaminated with bacteria from:

• your hands 
• the skin around the urethra (tube that carries urine out of the body) 

How long will I have to wait for a result?

Many urine samples can be quickly analysed using dipstick analysis so you should know the result immediately if you are in the practice, or within 24 hours if you have dropped a urine sample off to us. We will contact you with the results.

For some more complex tests we need to send your urine sample off for tests at a hospital laboratory. In these instances it might take up to 5 days for results to come back to the practice. These are sent electronically and are checked every day by our GPs. To obtain the result, either

• View your results online via SystmOnline or NHS App

Or

• Phone for results between 11AM – 3PM (when phone lines are quieter)

How can I learn more about my blood test?

Your GP will be happy to discuss your blood tests with you and explain what they are for. If you would like to know more, you can visit the NHS website and learn about some of the most widely used blood tests.

Do I need to do anything to prepare for my blood test?

No. The GP or nurse will tell you if there are any special instructions that you need to follow before your test. Occasionally, depending on the type of blood test you may be asked to:

• Avoid eating or drinking anything (except water) before midnight prior to the test. This is called a fasting blood test and helps avoid food and drink you have consumed affecting the result.
• Stop taking certain medication prior to the test. This would only be done if there is a chance that one of your medicines might affect the result.
• If you have a phobia of needles or have difficulty giving a blood sample, please let the nurse or GP know. They will be sympathetic and will do their best to support you through the experience.

What happens during a blood test?

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 child’s hand will be anaesthetised (numbed) with a special cream before the sample is taken. More information about the process of having a blood test is available on the NHS website.

How will I feel after my blood test?

Only a small amount of blood is taken during the test so you shouldn’t feel any significant side effects. However some people feel dizzy or faint and if this happens you should tell the nurse or GP carrying out the test so that they can make you feel comfortable. You may also have a small bruised area on your skin where the needle went in but this will soon go.

Sometimes your GP might want to have an image of what is happening inside your body. This means that we will need to send you for an X-Ray or a scan. These procedures are explained below:

X-Ray

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 your internal organs such as your lungs.

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 website.

MRI Scan

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a type of scan that uses strong magnetic fields and radio waves to produce detailed images of the inside of the body. An MRI scanner is a large tube that contains powerful magnets. An MRI scan can be used to examine almost any part of the body, including the:

• brain and spinal cord
• bones and joints
• breasts
• heart and blood vessels
• internal organs, such as the liver, womb or prostate gland 

If you have an MRI scan you will lie inside the scanner and you will be able to talk to the radiographer through an intercom and they will be able to see you on a television monitor throughout the scan.

At certain times during the scan, the scanner will make loud tapping noises. This is the electric current in the scanner coils being turned on and off. You will be given earplugs or headphones to wear. It is very important that you keep as still as possible during your MRI scan. The scan will last between 15 and 90 minutes, depending on the size of the area being scanned and how many images are taken.

You can read more about how MRI scans work on the NHS website.

Ultrasound Scan

An ultrasound scan, sometimes called a sonogram, is a procedure that uses high frequency sound waves to create an image of part of the inside of the body. 

As sound waves are used rather than radiation, ultrasound scans are commonly used during pregnancy to produce images of the baby in the womb.

Ultrasound scans can also be used to:

• detect heart problems
• examine other parts of the body such as the liver, kidneys and abdomen
• help guide a surgeon performing some types of biopsy

Most ultrasound scans don’t take long to perform, typically between 15 and 45 minutes. Your ultrasound scan will generally take place in an X-ray department in hospital and will normally be performed either by a sonographer. A sonographer is a specialist trained in the use of ultrasound, who will provide a descriptive report for the doctor to make a diagnosis. 

If you have an external ultrasound scan, a small handheld device called a transducer is placed onto you skin, and moved over the part of the body being examined. A lubricating gel is put onto your skin to allow the transducer to move smoothly. Pulses of ultrasound are sent from a probe in the transducer, through your skin and into your body. They then bounce back from the structures of your body to be displayed as an image on the monitor.

Before having some types of ultrasound scan, you may be asked to follow certain instructions before the procedure, such as:

• drink water and not go to the toilet until after the test – this is to fill your bladder and may be needed before a scan of your unborn baby or your pelvic area
• avoid eating for several hours before the scan – this may be needed before a scan of your abdomen to lower the amount of air and gas in your stomach or bowel and enable your gallbladder to be better assessed
• depending on the area of your body being examined, the hospital may also ask you to remove some clothing and wear a hospital gown.

If you would like to understand more about ultrasound scans, when they are used and how they work, please visit the NHS website.