An increasing number of appointments are being wasted by patients returning to see the GP too soon after a hospital appointment or investigation. Whilst you may have seen the consultant dictate a letter to us whilst you were at the hospital, it has to be typed out, checked and sent to us.

Please do not arrange an appointment to see the GP to discuss hospital attendance or investigations before the thresholds which are published in our practice leaflet.

As a reminder they are;

• For blood tests initiated at the surgery one week
• For simple x-rays such as chest two weeks
• For scans whether ultrasound, MRI or CT two weeks
• Letters from the hospital consultant three weeks

If a Consultant ordered a test please do not telephone the surgery to find out the result. We often cannot access the results if we did not order the tests we will be unable to help you with these matters. If the test shows something abnormal there are well proven systems that let you know and also let us know.

Your assistance in this matter will be greatly appreciated and will release more appointments.

Please phone the surgery for results after 10:00 in the morning.

As a guide, it normally takes one week for blood results to come back and two weeks for X-ray results.

Blood tests are carried out at both Matlock and Ashover. To make an appointment ring:-

Matlock 01629 583465

Ashover 01246 583465 or book an appointment at either reception.

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 Choices 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.