To say a call would be made immediately

[MiaMarshmallows]

If something came up which looked concerning on an xray or blood test result.

Or have people not found out they had a horrible illness until weeks/months on when they have found out in other ways?

Horrible illness here!!! Found out within 24 hours of blood test being done. I hope you’re ok OP.

I would imagine a HCP has requested the blood test/x ray for a reason and would be getting the results to determine any treatment required, following up with the patient.

Usually you get a call to make an appointment to discuss your results.

That doesn't mean that any call like that will necessarily be something awful though. Just something that needs further investigation or treatment.

Trying to put a family members mind at ease.
Had a chest xray which she is anxious about. That was early last week and not heard anything as yet but she is still panicking. She has severe anxiety.

Not necessarily immediately but fairly sharpish, yes. I used to work in the NHS and we would get back test results daily, they were sent to us in two bundles - flagged and routine. Flagged results were sent directly to the relavant consultant for urgent review/action, routine results were put into the workstream folder where we worked through them in the order they were received as they weren't urgent.

I think it rather depends on the circumstances of the tests being done. If they are looking for something awful then I would expect to find out very quickly. Horrible illness here also, I had someone knocking on my door at 9pm after one blood test because the out of hours doctor couldn't get hold of me. Never known that happen to me or anyone I know before.

When my husband got his cancer diagnosis, it was exactly a week after his CT scan - which was very quickly considering we'd been told it could be weeks. So I assume it was hurried through because it was more urgent.

Generally speaking, based on my own experiences at that job, no news tends to be good news.

Whenever I’ve had bad news it same or next day. Chest x-ray will be v busy just now I’d imagine. She could try to phone to ask.

I've had a stack of tests etc over the past couple of years. Honestly I've found no news is good news has absolutely been the case. Ones which have been OK I've had notification by letter which takes a while. I was always notified really quickly, usually by phone, if there was a problem.

Even my GP has phoned me within 24 hours of a blood test when something showed up.

dc got the result that their chronic pain is potentially cancerous 2 months later at a routine appointment for something else...
before that I always was of the 'no news is good news'

(dc turned out not to be cancer but another chronic and painful condition)

good luck @MiaMarshmallows I hope you get results soon and it's good news!

That is terrible pinkbalconyrailing.
Did they not offer an apology or explanation as to why he was not contacted urgently?
Rest of these replies are reassuring. Hopefully by now she would have heard something.

2 weeks after surgery for my cancer diagnosis

I've had a stack of tests etc over the past couple of years. Honestly I've found no news is good news has absolutely been the case. Ones which have been OK I've had notification by letter which takes a while. I was always notified really quickly, usually by phone, if there was a problem.

This has been my experience with a relative's illness. His doctor once rang me while I was at work after he'd had a blood test (I'm next of kin) because she couldn't get hold of him and needed him to come in urgently.
No news will definitely mean nothing that needs urgent attention.

Another voice to say no news is good news. Sometimes they like to repeat a chest X-ray in 6 weeks to check for changes - has this been discussed with your relative?

No, she is assuming the worst as she has such bad anxiety and has had such terrible luck healthwise these past few years.
Hopefully as most of you have said, no news is good news.

Bloods in the morning for me, phone call in the evening to go to hospital

When a relative had severe T2 diabetes GP called them in the next day to let them know (Friday eve) although they didn’t prescribe until after the week3nd.

Within 2 days of my CT scan I got the phone call to come in urgently.

What was she told at the appointment to have the x Ray? Normally they say “your doctor will have the results in x days/weeks”

Friend had what she thought was a routine blood test first thing in the morning and answered the door to an ambulance at 3:00pm.

@QueenPaws

Bloods in the morning for me, phone call in the evening to go to hospital

Same thing happened to my mum,

In general, no news is good news, OP (though sometimes it can take several days for reverie of imaging though you don't need to mention that when you reassure your friend, OP).

My dad's NDN had a brain scan result sitting in the GPS office. Nobody had looked at it "because of COVID"

He had had a stroke.

DD2 had her urine tested as a tiny baby and when I didn’t answer the phone (was doing DD1 nursery pick up) they called DH, when he didn’t answer someone from the GP practice hand delivered an a&e referral letter to our door. I agree that no news = usually good news (or at least not scary/urgent news).

They only found out because they wouldn't take being fobbed off for an answer.
Never assume people have done their jobs correctly,