NHS blood test results are increasingly accessible to patients through the NHS App and online GP portals. But receiving a list of numbers without context can cause more anxiety than clarity. This guide explains how to interpret what you see — and what your GP is looking at when they review the same results.
How NHS blood test results reach you
When your GP orders a blood test, the sample is processed by an NHS laboratory (or a contracted private lab). Results are returned electronically to your GP's system, usually within 24–72 hours for routine tests. Your GP reviews the results and decides whether to contact you, add a note to your record, or take no action.
Since the NHS App began providing access to medical records, many patients can now see their results before their GP has reviewed them. This is valuable, but it means you may encounter flagged results without context or explanation.
What your GP sees that you might not
Your GP's view of your results includes several things that may not be visible in the patient-facing portal:
- Your previous results — GPs compare current results to your history, which is why a result that looks alarming in isolation may be unremarkable in context
- Clinical notes — the reason the test was ordered, your symptoms, and your medication list all inform how a result is interpreted
- Lab comments — laboratories sometimes add interpretive notes or quality flags that do not appear in the patient view
- Calculated values — some markers (such as eGFR and non-HDL cholesterol) are calculated from other results and may not appear explicitly in your view
Common NHS blood test abbreviations
| Abbreviation | Full name | What it measures |
|---|---|---|
| FBC | Full Blood Count | Red cells, white cells, platelets, haemoglobin |
| U&E | Urea and Electrolytes | Kidney function, sodium, potassium |
| eGFR | Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate | Kidney filtration efficiency |
| LFTs | Liver Function Tests | Liver enzymes and proteins |
| TFTs | Thyroid Function Tests | TSH, sometimes T4 and T3 |
| HbA1c | Glycated Haemoglobin | Average blood sugar over 2–3 months |
| CRP | C-Reactive Protein | Marker of inflammation or infection |
| ESR | Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate | Non-specific marker of inflammation |
| PSA | Prostate-Specific Antigen | Prostate health marker (men) |
Why your GP might not contact you about a flagged result
Not every flagged result requires action. GPs use clinical judgement to determine whether a flag is significant in your context. A mildly elevated ALT (liver enzyme) in someone who had a recent viral illness is very different from the same result in someone with no obvious cause. A slightly low haemoglobin in a woman with heavy periods may be expected and monitored rather than urgently investigated.
If you see a flagged result in your NHS App and have not heard from your GP, it is reasonable to contact the surgery and ask whether it requires any follow-up. Do not assume that no contact means no action is needed — but equally, do not assume that a flag is cause for alarm before speaking to a clinician.
Getting more from your NHS results
The NHS App gives you access to your results, but it does not explain them or show you trends over time. If you have had multiple blood tests, comparing them manually across different dates is time-consuming and easy to get wrong.
biomarkr is designed to fill this gap: it imports your NHS and private results, explains each marker in plain English, and shows you how each one has changed over time — so you can see the direction of travel, not just today's number.
Questions worth asking at your next appointment
- Can you walk me through which results were flagged and what they mean?
- How do these results compare to my previous tests?
- Is there anything in these results that warrants further investigation?
- Are there any results I should be monitoring more closely?
Track this marker over time, not just today
biomarkr keeps every result in one place and shows you the direction each marker is heading — free for your first year.