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NHS App test results explained

How to see your test results in the NHS App

Your blood test is done and now you are checking the NHS App. Here is where results appear, how soon, and what the short notes next to them usually mean. If something worries you, your GP surgery can explain your own results.

Where to find your results

To use the NHS App you need to be 13 or over and registered with a GP surgery in England. You can also log in through the NHS website without downloading anything.

  1. Log in to the NHS App.
  2. Select Test results.
  3. If you are asked, choose GP-ordered test results or Hospital-ordered test results.
  4. Read the notice about sensitive information, then select Continue.
  • GP-ordered results can include blood tests, urine tests and tissue biopsies.
  • Access to hospital-ordered results in the app is limited and comes through a separate service. Some hospitals have their own app, so ask the hospital.

When results appear

A healthcare professional reviews results before they are released. Most appear within a few days. More complex tests can take a few weeks.

Your clinician may hold back a result until they have discussed it with you. You may also see a result that no one has talked to you about yet. Some surgeries do not contact you at all unless they need to discuss a result.

If you have heard nothing after a few weeks, contact the GP surgery or the specialist who asked for the test.

What the GP's comment usually means

When a doctor files your result, they usually add a short comment, often picked from a set list. The exact words differ from surgery to surgery, so these are common examples, not fixed meanings.

  • 'Normal, no action': the doctor has looked at it and nothing more is needed.
  • 'Satisfactory' or 'Stable': the doctor is happy with it. It may or may not be inside the range, and no action is planned.
  • A comment that the result is as expected: it is what the doctor thought it would be when they asked for the test. It may be normal or abnormal, and no more action is needed.
  • 'Abnormal, contact patient': the doctor wants the surgery to get in touch with you, for example to book a review.
  • A comment that the sample was requested by secondary care: a hospital team asked for the test, so they are responsible for acting on it.

Reading the numbers

Each result sits next to a reference range from the laboratory. A computer flags anything outside that range, but a flagged result can still be normal for you. Ranges do not take every person's age, sex or health conditions into account.

Comments added by the laboratory are usually written for the doctor who asked for the test, so they may not read clearly to you.

Some surgeries let you see how a result has changed. Select the test, go to Your result, then select View test result history. A line graph shows when the same test was done at least twice in the past 3 years and has a reference range.

Why some results do not show

  • Tests done before October 2023 may not appear automatically. Ask your GP surgery for access.
  • Results from tests a hospital ordered may not be there.
  • Private tests and maternity checks are not shown.
  • A surgery can hold back a result if seeing it could seriously harm your physical or mental health, or if it would identify someone else who has not agreed.

Copies, mistakes and worries

  • You cannot download test results from the NHS App. Ask your GP surgery for a copy of your results or record.
  • If something in your results looks wrong, contact your GP surgery.
  • If you would rather not see your record in the app, or want certain results hidden, speak to your surgery.
  • If a result worries you, contact your GP surgery.

Call 999 in an emergency. For urgent advice that is not an emergency, use NHS 111 online or call 111. For questions about your test results, contact your GP surgery.

Keep your reports in one place

Take a photo or screenshot of your results, or upload the PDF, and Vita explains each number in plain words, suggests what to ask your GP, and keeps it with your past results. Vita does not connect to the NHS App or to any UK health record system, and its hospital connections are for US hospitals, not UK ones.

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Questions

Why can I see my results before the GP has called me?

Results are released once a healthcare professional has reviewed them, and the app can show them before anyone has discussed them with you. Some surgeries do not get in touch unless they need to talk about a result.

What does 'Satisfactory' mean on my blood test?

It usually means the doctor has looked at the result and is not planning any action, even if a number sits outside the range. Wording varies by surgery, so ask yours if you are unsure.

My result is flagged high or low. Should I worry?

Not always. A result just outside the range can be normal for you, and a doctor reads it alongside your other results and history. If you are worried, contact your GP surgery.

Why is my hospital blood test missing?

Tests ordered by a hospital may not appear in the NHS App, or may appear through a separate service with limited access. Ask the hospital team that did the test.

Can I download my results as a PDF from the NHS App?

No. The NHS App does not let you download test results. Your GP surgery can give you a copy.

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Sources

General information, not medical advice. VitaMedas is not connected with any government health service. Vita Health Coach explains; it never diagnoses. In an emergency, call 999. Read the medical disclaimer.