Getting hold of test results?

[MarkGeordie]

Anyone ever had trouble accessing their test results from a hospital?

I’ve had a lot done this year and the consultant hasn’t given me them all just selected ones or said “there normal”.

I rang her secretary two weeks ago to ask for written confirmation of them all and she said she would email the doctor and the secretary rang back the same day to say the consultant would be in touch in a few days.

Now two weeks have passed so I’ve rang again and she said she’d send another email.

Why is it so hard to get hold of these?

Thinking it could be quicker to put in a subject access request.

 

[Deleted member 27171]

Hi @MarkGeordie

What a pain, does seem like an easy enough request. A report of results should have been sent to your GP, perhaps you'd get more luck calling there? - doesn't solve the issue of course but might at least get you what you're after a little quicker.

 

[MarkGeordie]

Hi @MarkGeordie

What a pain, does seem like an easy enough request. A report of results should have been sent to your GP, perhaps you'd get more luck calling there? - doesn't solve the issue of course but might at least get you what you're after a little quicker.

Honestly, I was baffled with that too.

Consultant sent a follow up letter which consisted of two sentences and no reference to test results which had at the top of the letter that a copy went to GP.

The receptionist at the GP surgery has confirmed they have access to the results on the computer system but her and the GP I spoke to refused to give me them saying it was down to the hospital to communicate them to me.

 

[Deleted member 27171]

That's exasperating!
Does your GP practice have an online service you can register for (even if you don't use it) like Patient Access? That literally gives you access to details of all test results, consultations etc. without the need to take on any reluctant receptionists.

There must be something really juicy in your results for everyone to be so guarded about them, could they have discovered your secret super powers?

 

[Docb]

This is what happens round here as far as I can see....

Tests ordered by doctor automatically go on your patient record and if you ask you can get remote access to them.

Routine tests ordered by a consultant at the hospital are entered on your hospital record. Your GP can access those records remotely but you cannot. The hospital system does not talk to the GP system so the information can only get onto your GP patient record if it is entered manually by somebody in the surgery. This is time-consuming, has a high potential for error and not done routinely. Because of this, you have to ask your GP for hospital test results and what you get, and the manner you get them depends on the attitude of your GP.

Any specialised tests remain in the domain of the consultant - the GP only knows the results if the consultant writes and tells them.

What happens round your way is anybody's guess!

 

[MarkGeordie]

That's exasperating!
Does your GP practice have an online service you can register for (even if you don't use it) like Patient Access? That literally gives you access to details of all test results, consultations etc. without the need to take on any reluctant receptionists.

There must be something really juicy in your results for everyone to be so guarded about them, could they have discovered your secret super powers?

I have access to Patient Access but doesn’t seem to be a test results area. Unless my surgery don’t give access to this feature?

 

[Deleted member 27171]

I have access to Patient Access but doesn’t seem to be a test results area. Unless my surgery don’t give access to this feature?

From the Home screen there is a 'more' option with icon of 3 dots, then within that 'medical record' and then 'test results'

 

[MarkGeordie]

From the Home screen there is a 'more' option with icon of 3 dots, then within that 'medical record' and then 'test results'

More, then medical record, then I have the following listed:

- medications
- allergies
- share record
- export record
- GP shared record history

Nothing for test results.

 

[Deleted member 27171]

Hmmm, maybe it is a practice subscription thing then - I have all of the above plus, 'problems' 'immunisations' and 'test results'

That's a shame, had hoped for a nice easy solution there
Hope they don't keep you waiting too much longer .

 

[MarkGeordie]

Hmmm, maybe it is a practice subscription thing then - I have all of the above plus, 'problems' 'immunisations' and 'test results'

That's a shame, had hoped for a nice easy solution there
Hope they don't keep you waiting too much longer .

I’ll see if I get any contact this week, in the meantime I’ve contacted the relevant team at the hospital and they have sent me via email a subject access request form to complete.

 

[DaveB]

Hmmm, maybe it is a practice subscription thing then - I have all of the above plus, 'problems' 'immunisations' and 'test results'

That's a shame, had hoped for a nice easy solution there
Hope they don't keep you waiting too much longer .

Hi. I use SystemOnline and I had to ask to be added to the second level for full Patient data and test results. I suspect PateintAccess is the same?

 

[SB2015]

I have access to Patient Access but doesn’t seem to be a test results area. Unless my surgery don’t give access to this feature?

There are two levels of access on that system. You can request additional access through your GP and then get to test results and your history.

I now get my D tests done at GP, these are usually reported within a coupe of days and appear on the system so I can then access them. I ignore the statements beside each, and look at the values in the context of the targets that I have agreed with my consultant. I then email my consultant to let him know I have had them done and he accesses them for our appointment.

 

[grovesy]

Not all surgeries allow access to test results, although they are meant too.

 

[MarkGeordie]

I’ll have another word with the surgery and see whether I can get access.

 

[Pine Marten]

More, then medical record, then I have the following listed:

- medications
- allergies
- share record
- export record
- GP shared record history

Nothing for test results.

I have that sort of thing too, I can't get to any test results.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

I’ll have another word with the surgery and see whether I can get access.

My GP surgery had to enable access to my test results by flicking a special secret electronic switch, but it has been very handy since.

Hope you can get access without too much hassle Mark

 

[DaveB]

For those whose surgeries don't allow access to the online system should first complain to the Practice Manager and talk to their PPG; I'm on my surgery PPG. If that gets nowhere then complain to the CCG. It is NHS policy and it is mandated that patients have access unless there is a very good reason e.g. mental health concerns.

 

[trophywench]

My hospital team and my GP practice are really good at discussing test results openly and though there was quite a long delay in enabling the visible test results part of the website, it was only cos it takes a quite a long while to load the last 10 years of paper results for over 10,000 patients onto it, not cos they were trying to deliberately ignore any responsibility. Still can't see the hospital results though. Husband's first PSA test result which they did is on there, but to the casual observer, nobody has done another one since. Nothing could be further from the truth, they referred him straight to the hospital so meanwhile he's had his prostate removed and cos his result went up from Nil immediately after the op, every 4 weeks for 12 weeks, he then underwent a course of radiotherapy to get the bit they missed. Since then, it has been tested every 6 months religiously and followed up by a phone call with the consultant to confirm what the result was and it's remained at 0.01 something since.

 

[grovesy]

For those whose surgeries don't allow access to the online system should first complain to the Practice Manager and talk to their PPG; I'm on my surgery PPG. If that gets nowhere then complain to the CCG. It is NHS policy and it is mandated that patients have access unless there is a very good reason e.g. mental health concerns.

What is a PPG?

 

[MarkGeordie]

For those whose surgeries don't allow access to the online system should first complain to the Practice Manager and talk to their PPG; I'm on my surgery PPG. If that gets nowhere then complain to the CCG. It is NHS policy and it is mandated that patients have access unless there is a very good reason e.g. mental health concerns.

Is there any link to this policy?