We will contact you by telephone, or by letter, only if a result means you require treatment or further investigations. You will not be contacted if your result is normal. If you wish to enquire about the results of your tests please telephone at the end of surgery sessions. The administrative staff will give results to you or you may be asked to speak to the nurse or doctor. Adults' results will not be given to anyone other than the patient, except in exceptional circumstances.

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.

If you or your child would like extra support in the clinic room while having a blood test, such as another member of staff chaperoning, please let reception know at the time of booking.

We endeavor to make any visit to our surgeries as safe as possible for our patients. If you usually feel faint, or have any other adverse reactions when having bloods taken normally, please inform reception so we can take the necessary measures to keep you and our staff as safe as possible.

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. The radiographer will review the X-ray image and type up a report based on the findings - it is the report that is sent to the GP, not this X-ray image itself, which is why it may take around 10 days or more for the GP to receive the findings. Any findings that the radiographer thinks need urgent action will be sent through to us as a priority, the practice will then contact you to ensure you have the correct follow up action in place.

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