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I would like access to my own test results

Posted By monocerossg53

"I would like access to my own test results"

About: University Hospital Monklands / Radiology University Hospital Wishaw / Radiology

(as a service user),

Access to test results being so very difficult. I have had an ongoing chronic disease for 45 years. Access to test results has always been very difficult and in recent years it is feeling impossible.

Knowing my blood results helps me manage a difficult complex disease and to feel in control of my own health. To be able to only contact medical professionals when I need to.

I am upset today that, that felt impossible. That it will be, from now on, (as unreasonable) no longer possible at all. I feel disempowered, not in control of my own health and bewildered as to why? That this is still so very hard for NHS to do.

Why haven't we a way to log in, to say patient access, and see results? If we want to? Many may not. Now I have no idea how covid has derailed my latest results and it's 5 week wait until my telephone GP appointment plus 3 months until my hospital consultation, where I will have to waste precious minutes, asking just the very basic results queries.

It's the 21st century and I have no idea why this is now harder than ever.

I feel despondent and really down. I do understand pressures and I'm upset that I'm made to feel like I am selfish to ask for results. I'm a great social media advocate of our NHS. Believe me I know more than many how valuable and precious it is.

Is it really impossible for tests to be available on the patient access site, or via a simple request and order system, even an app? NHS check in and  NHS covid app have proven their usefulness.

I actually believe it would save time for the NHS and empower patients to better monitor their own health.

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Responses

Response from Elaine Connelly, Diagnostic Service Manager - Radiology, University Hospital Hairmyres, NHS Lanarkshire 2 years ago
Elaine Connelly
Diagnostic Service Manager - Radiology, University Hospital Hairmyres,
NHS Lanarkshire

Submitted on 18/02/2022 at 13:19
Published on Care Opinion at 13:19

Dear monocerossg53,

Thank you very much for taking the time to share your difficulties regarding access to test results.

I appreciate and understand your frustrations at being unable to electronically access your personal diagnostic results directly and although this is not currently available I believe there are ongoing discussions around this topic particularly for patients with specific longterm conditions.

I am sure you will understand the need to ensure that any system introduced does not lead to any further patient anxiety through misinterpretation of results but does empower patients to have more control and the ability to help manage long term conditions.

Most GP surgeries have dedicated times that patients are able to phone through to request the results of any test they have recently received and they would also contact the patient should any change to their management be required.

Please be assured that NHSL Labs will work with any National, Regional or local IT initiatives to try and take this forward.

I sincerely hope that you are well and managing your longterm condition and that at some point in the future we will be in a position to offer patients access to their own results.

Best Wishes

Elaine Connelly

Diagnostic Service Manager

  • {{helpful}} {{helpful == 1 ? "person thinks" : "people think"}} this response is helpful

Update posted by monocerossg53 (a service user)

Thank you Elaine Connelly, Diagnostic Services Manager. Very kind of you to reply. Much appreciated.

I do feel for those of us with chronic long term health diseases it is important to learn to be able to monitor our conditions.

We have a lot of resource information nowadays and are encourage to self educate and become more involved with decision making regards to condition and treatments etc.

With RA there are great organisations who advocate and encourage us to monitor our DAS scores etc. To learn and recognise flares .. we can't complete our own day scores without blood monitoring results.

Hopefully when the current situation settles more GP practices might go back to giving us our results in detail. I'm often told I can't get the results in detail as the staff member isn't qualified to give those out.

Seeing x-rays in person is another issue... let's hope as digital services improve and develop it becomes available to patients as well.

Thanks again.

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