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Original poster

Text from GP surgery - is this concerning?

26 replies

Fluffywigg · 27/04/2024 13:14

Looking for a bit of reassurance so posted here. Friends just called me in floods saying she’s just received a text this morning from her GP surgery saying “Please get booked in for a telephone review with GP to discuss your results”

She had a change in her bowel habits so went to GP incase it was bowel/colon cancer. Had to take 2 stool samples which came back clear. Had blood tests and she called the other day and they said the first set of bloods has come back clear, the second sample hasn’t come back yet.

Then she’s received this text this morning. Frustrating because you can’t phone and ask because they’re closed.

Is that standard or should she be worried? Sorry to ask and I appreciate no one can know for sure but just wanting opinions.

Thanks

OP posts:
Itsrainingten · 27/04/2024 13:17

I think it means they've found SOMETHING but probably nothing terrible or they'd want a face to face.

Andthereyougo · 27/04/2024 13:20

Can she access test results online?

Username917778 · 27/04/2024 13:21

Very standard when I worked in a GP surgery and I often had to field calls from worried patients. It can mean everything was clear so they need further investigations to explain her symptoms.

Riverlee · 27/04/2024 13:24

That’s a standard response.

theduchessofspork · 27/04/2024 13:24

It’s standard.

Just means they’ll talk her through what it says and what they will likely investigate next.

MotherJessAndKittens · 27/04/2024 13:25

If it was something really bad they wouldn't ask her to book a telephone appointment. They may just want to give the remainder of the results or have found she is anaemic or low thyroid or something.

Original poster
Fluffywigg · 27/04/2024 13:27

Andthereyougo · 27/04/2024 13:20

Can she access test results online?

Good point - I’ll ask.

OP posts:
TheGoddessFreyja · 27/04/2024 13:27

If she's got the NHS app she can log in and see the results herself. Hoping all okay for her 💐 such a worry when you get a message like that 😣xx

Original poster
Fluffywigg · 27/04/2024 13:31

When people say it’s standard, does that mean even if the last set of results came back clear, they would still send that message - to let her know it’s all clear?

I would have thought they’d text all is fine.

OP posts:
Gingernaut · 27/04/2024 13:31

It's a routine GP discussion about the results

If it was urgent, they would have said, or even booked an appointment and then told her about it

Itsrainingten · 27/04/2024 13:32

I had a bunch of blood tests for some symptoms that could have had a scary cause. I got a similar message and it was because they wanted to discuss the fact that my cholesterol was a bit raised. Really nothing too bad at all. I was convinced it was going to be bad news

ThisIsMyRubbishUsername · 27/04/2024 13:33

I had tests like this and they wrote to me to say they were clear. I would have thought if urgent they would telephone you though rather than risk the patient not booking an appointment after receiving a text.

Original poster
Fluffywigg · 27/04/2024 13:40

Itsrainingten · 27/04/2024 13:32

I had a bunch of blood tests for some symptoms that could have had a scary cause. I got a similar message and it was because they wanted to discuss the fact that my cholesterol was a bit raised. Really nothing too bad at all. I was convinced it was going to be bad news

That’s reassuring, thank you for this

OP posts:
Dottiethekangaroo · 27/04/2024 14:00

I am undergoing a number of the tests at the moment. That text message is standard. Many of the test have come back negative, Brain MRI, abdominal ultrasound. The doctor has just confirmed the negative result.

Other tests have come back requiring treatment or further investigation so the text is no real indication.

The NHS app is always updated before I speak to the doctor.

TwelveTimesTables · 27/04/2024 14:09

Hi OP,

I would agree that it is no reason to worry. Again it might be just that they found something else like low vitamin D and want her to take supplements or something like that. It can be something very mild and fixable, so really fine for your friend to set her mind at rest.

You can probably log into the hospital results service to get the results even faster than through the GP app. At our hospital it's called MyChart. I get blood test results same day from that.

Flowers
TwelveTimesTables · 27/04/2024 14:12

btw the stool sample test was very probably a calprotectin test and if it came back "clear" (less then 50) then that might point to IBS which is annoying but very safe. If that's what it is then the GP will want her to look at stress levels and diet. If she's in floods of tears then very probably stress levels are what's going to be getting a looking at. Stress plays merry hell with bowel function, but is very fixable.

MolkosTeenageAngst · 27/04/2024 14:14

I would assume the bloods have flagged up something or that they’re clear but they now want to investigate further. Even if something is flagged up that doesn’t mean it is anything awful, it could be something minor like being low in specific vitamins.

OldTinHat · 27/04/2024 14:15

Normal (I hope!). I had a call from the doctors last week to say my blood results have come back as abnormal. I have an appointment to discuss mid May.

I'm assuming nothing to panic about otherwise I'd be seen sooner.

mycatsanutter · 27/04/2024 14:17

I work in a GP surgery , it's completely normal , if it was alarming they would be ringing not asking for a letter to be sent out .

Iop · 27/04/2024 14:24

I had similar - change in bowel habits, stool samples, blood tests, message to invite me in to the surgery. It was because the blood tests had shown up coeliac antibodies. They wanted to discuss that I almost certainly had coeliac based on the blood results, but that they would be referring me for an endoscopy to confirm the diagnosis. It felt scary at the time but wasn't actually a big deal. Hopefully something similar for your friend.

nokidshere · 27/04/2024 14:39

The results should be available on the nhs app if she has it.

My surgery text me with results and tell me if there is anything I need to do (ie, please top up your vit d as it's a little on the low side), or if I need to speak to Dr

WhereCanWeBe · 27/04/2024 14:43

It's standard, although I'd say a little shitty of them to send messages out when they are shut! Messages like this would naturally worry some people and not being able to speak to someone when they have received it is not good practice in my opinion.

VestibuleVirgin · 27/04/2024 16:03

Itsrainingten · 27/04/2024 13:17

I think it means they've found SOMETHING but probably nothing terrible or they'd want a face to face.

Stop it. It means nothing of the sort. Certainly not worth the 'screaming' capitals

Horsemother · 27/04/2024 16:07

In my recent experience - a face to face appointment with a doctor or consultant doesn't mean you have to worry. I treked to the hospital, met a very nice consultant and all he wanted to do was tell me everything was clear.
An oncology consultant told me that they try to never give bad news over the phone, so if that's what your friend is worrying about that might make her feel better.

Thinkonmadam · 27/04/2024 16:13

As someone who was diagnosed with rectal cancer last year, my stool sample tests were abnormally high and I was sent for a colonoscopy within a week or so. Colonoscopy diagnosed likely malignant tumour, followed by confirmation by MRI & CT scan. (Since had surgery & radiotherapy - all clear and just on 4 monthly observations)

So as pp said, v unlikely bowel cancer if stool sample was ok

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