AIBU in thinking that if GP notes something wrong with your bloods, they should call you?

[DeTwamps]

2 months ago I had bloods done. Heard nothing back so presumed all ok.
I've since needed a copy of the bloods for an external agency and have called 3 times to get a copy of the bloods.
Finally today the receptionist goes 'Oh, hold on, there's a note on here - Patient to make appointment to discuss further management'.
Why the heck am I finding this out only now???????????

You'd swear I was trying to get access to Top Secret information. In fact, I've actually had an appointment with a gp in the practice in the intervening 2 months and nothing was mentioned!

I've had similar crap with this practice before where a consultant will advise a course of action to be taken by the GP but they don't actually act on it. I get copied on the letters and then I have to ring the GP myself to ask them to read the letter.

What in the world? FFS. AIBU?

My go always say ‘call in in about a week and they should be back’ I’ve never expected a callback.

Although my gp did call me the day after a test to ask if I was feeling ok as my blood was indicating a virus. Her words were ‘I’d expect to have seen you down here with these levels’ I’d had tonsillitis but had doped myself up and carried on as it was probably viral.

It's normal to ring up for the results yourself, it is less common to ask for a physical copy of the results.

Tests done in hospital - like mammograms - the hospital lets you know the result. Tests ordered by the GP - ring the surgery.

Imagine if after every mammogram, smear etc you had to phone for results - chaos

I'm not sure what your sarky response was for to be honest @Aridane, but anyway. With mammograms and smear tests you get results by letter - again I thought that was standard practice (though perhaps it varies from area to area?). When you ring for blood results they don't give you the result, they're not allowed to, they tell you if you need to make an appointment to see the GP to discuss or if no further action is needed.

When I was going through chemo last year and having regular blood tests, I still had to phone for results.

Ha ha - the receptionists at my surgery would rather chew hornets than disclose test results over the phone

Mine phone if there’s something wrong.

Realistically you cannot expect an already stretched service to contact every patient when there is an issue, it would be chaos

Of course you can. In our surgery the policy is they will ring you if there is something flagged.

Why is clogging phone lines with 30 or so people ringing in a day less chaotic

Exactly!

My surgery contacts me.

You're leaping to the conclusion that "discuss further management" means that there is a problem.
Your blood test may be fine, but the GP will discuss what else might be causing whatever issue you're presenting with.

It's your responsibility to get your own results. Yes if something is seriously wrong we will call you but other thing we just don't have the time.

At my surgery, you are expected to phone in for your results. It’s your responsibility.
They won’t phone you about them, no matter what!
However, they WILL provide you with a print out of the results, no problem at all, if you want it. Receptionist will just print out if you ask.

I've always been called if their has been an abnormality on mine from the GP as its flagged up. That's 3 different surgeries. They've twice made a further appointment and once given the doctors advice to me over the phone. If they need you to call in they usually let you know how long the results will take and what day to try phoning the surgery.

Our practice has a results line that you can call for any tests that have been taken. I always just follow up as a rule as I know that with so many patients it's easy to get lost in the scramble.

Where I’ve worked you’re expected to call for your results after a week, but if something urgent comes through the duty doctor that day would action it.
Some things such as low vitamin D we send a standard letter advising to take over the counter supplements.
Lots of different ways of doing things but I don’t know anywhere which has the manpower for doctors to call about every abnormal result.

You're leaping to the conclusion that "discuss further management" means that there is a problem.
Your blood test may be fine, but the GP will discuss what else might be causing whatever issue you're presenting with.

I know what's wrong. And it IS a life threatening issue - easily rectified IF IDENTIFIED.

I'm not 80, but I forgot to follow up on the results. Heard nothing and wasn't experiencing any detrimental symptoms. Now, following me asking for a copy of the blood results THREE times, there's a note stating 'patient to contact surgery'. How does 'patient' know to contact surgery if they're not told!!!

DeTwamps: Assuming you're in UK, have you asked GP practice recently if they have broadened their on-line service provision OR if they have any plans to?

At my GP practice, up to very recently, all I could do on-line, with them, was order repeat prescriptions.

They now have a system in place where I can book appointments and also access blood results but, I had to complete an application form and submit proof of identity to use it.

Maybe e-mail the practice manager to ask if they have it and if not, why not and will they be getting it.

Ours has a results line, but you can only ring it between 2-3pm.

YANBU. We are told not to contact the surgery for results, if something is wrong they will contact us within 2 weeks. But I always want a definite ok/not ok because otherwise how do I know they haven't just lost them.

The issue was identified while I was an inpatient in hospital. I was told to have repeat bloods 1 week after discharge from hospital. The results were still abnormal, so I was told to have them another week later. They're the blood results I'm trying to get a copy of and they're the ones where there's some invisible note for the patient to contact the surgery.
My telepathy wasn't working on that day, so I never knew I was to contact the surgery.
Can you not see how ridiculous this is?

Yes I've asked and 'no we don't do that here'.
You can't contact the practice manager. They just say she's not available.

Mine expect you to phone, but they will contact you if there's a note that something's amiss. Last time I got a call to say that my liver results were deranged.

Turns out that what the doctor meant was 'slightly out of the normal range', but what the receptionist said was definitely 'deranged'.

Apart from the other agency needing the bloods, a family member is a consultant and would like a copy. That's why I'm requesting them. It's all gibberish to me.

For your attitude alone you are being completely unreasonable - do you expect everything to revolve round you??!

Take responsibility for your own health - if you have a blood test check the results same for any other test.

Ye, they use the term deranged a lot with me. In reference to my blood results. Not my general demeanour I hope lol.

What is 'my attitude' exactly? Sheer exasperation? Frustration? Incredulity? Annoyance? Anger? Fear?