Access to results
How to find blood test results in the NHS App
Many people can now see test results linked to their health record online. What is available depends on your practice, the service that requested the test and where in the UK you live.
Medipher explains medical wording in plain English — it does not diagnose or replace a clinician. If this is a medical emergency, call your local emergency number immediately.
The short answer
The short answer
In England, log in to the NHS App, select Test results on the home screen, read the notice and select Continue, then choose GP-ordered test results. Hospital-ordered test results may also be available, depending on the hospital's connected services.
Results do not necessarily go straight to the App when the laboratory finishes. What you can see depends on where the result is held, your record access and when the service releases it. You may see a result before anyone has spoken to you about it.
If a result you expected is not showing, contact the service that requested the test rather than assuming it is missing or has been overlooked.
How to find, check and view blood test results in the NHS App
The NHS App is an England service. To check blood test results, follow the NHS help page's steps below. Menu wording can change as the App is updated.
- 1. Log in
- Open the NHS App and log in to your account.
- 2. Select Test results
- On the home screen, select Test results. Read the important notice about sensitive information you may see, then select Continue.
- 3. Choose the results service
- Select GP-ordered test results for tests requested by your GP surgery. If Hospital-ordered test results is offered, this may show results through a connected hospital service.
- 4. Open the relevant result
- Check the test name and date so you are looking at the result you expected. Read any comments or follow-up instructions alongside the value, units, reference range and flags.
Once you have found your report, use our guide to reading blood test results: values, units, ranges and flags.
Do blood test results go straight to the NHS App?
Not necessarily. The NHS App displays information made available by your GP practice or a connected hospital service; it is not a live feed of every laboratory test. A test being complete does not guarantee that it is visible in your account.
GP practices provide online access to new information in GP health records, including test results, but your access and the information released to you can vary. The NHS says a healthcare professional should wait to release a result if they need to discuss it with you first. You may still see some results before anyone contacts you.
Hospital-ordered results may be available through a connected service such as Patients Know Best, or in a separate hospital portal. They are not guaranteed to appear among your GP-ordered results, even if the blood sample was taken at your GP surgery.
A delay does not tell you what the result means
A missing result, a delay or no phone call does not show that a result is normal or abnormal. Ask the service that requested the test where to find it and what follow-up is planned.
For the separate question of waiting and follow-up, read why blood test result waiting times vary and who to contact.
The routes for viewing results online
There is no single national screen showing every test you have ever had. Instead there are several routes, each connected to a different part of the NHS.
- The NHS App (England)
- The NHS App can show test results held in your GP health record and, where available, results through connected hospital services. What appears, and how far back it goes, depends on your access and the service sharing the information.
- Your GP practice's online services
- Many practices offer their own online account or a partner app. The information is drawn from the same GP record, so it is usually similar to what the NHS App shows.
- Hospital and clinic portals
- Some hospitals and specialist services run their own patient portals. Results requested by that service may appear there rather than in your GP record.
- Elsewhere in the UK
- Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own health service arrangements and digital services, so the routes above do not all apply. Check the guidance for your own health service.
Why a result may not be showing
- The laboratory has not finished or authorised the result yet.
- The result is complete, but your service releases results online only after a clinician has reviewed them.
- The test was requested by a hospital or clinic, so it sits in that organisation's system rather than your GP record.
- Your practice has not enabled detailed record access for you, or has limited which parts of the record are visible.
- The sample could not be analysed and a repeat test is needed.
Seeing a number is not the same as understanding it
Online records often show raw values and flags without an explanation. A value outside the printed range does not by itself establish a diagnosis, and a value inside it does not rule out every problem.
If you are looking at your own results online and the wording is unfamiliar, Medipher can explain the terminology in plain English. Explore what this result means.
What you are likely to see
Online results usually mirror the laboratory report: the name of the test, the measured value, the units, the laboratory's reference range, and sometimes a flag such as high, low or abnormal. There may also be a laboratory comment and a report status.
You may see results before anyone has spoken to you about them. That can feel unsettling, particularly if something is flagged. Flags are generated automatically by comparing your value with the laboratory's range — they are a prompt for a clinician to look, not an interpretation of your health.
What does ‘Normal – No action’ mean on a blood test result?
GP practices may add a summary or action label to a result. These are different from a laboratory flag such as H or L, and the exact wording and meaning can vary between practices. Read the whole comment, not just one word.
- Normal – No action
- Some GP practices use this to mean a clinician has reviewed the result, considered it within the expected range for that test and recorded that no further action is needed for that result. It is not an all-clear for every symptom or health condition, and it does not mean you should stop an existing treatment or follow-up plan.
- High, low or abnormal
- A laboratory flag usually marks a value outside that laboratory's reference range. It is not the same as a clinician's follow-up instruction and does not by itself establish a diagnosis. Read any accompanying comment and ask the service that requested the test if the next step is unclear.
- Final, preliminary or corrected
- These describe the stage or version of the report, not whether your health is normal or abnormal. A final report is not the same as a ‘Normal – No action’ assessment.
Symptoms still matter
A value outside the printed range does not by itself establish a diagnosis, and a value inside it does not rule out every problem. If symptoms persist, worsen or concern you, seek medical advice even if the label says ‘Normal – No action’. If you need urgent medical help, use your local urgent or emergency service rather than waiting for an App update.
For report-stage wording, see report status: final, preliminary, pending and corrected.
If you cannot see your results online
- Ask your GP practice whether detailed record access is available to you and how to switch it on.
- Ask the service that requested the test where the result will appear and when.
- If the timeframe you were given has passed, contact that service directly.
- If your symptoms are worsening, seek medical help rather than waiting for a result to appear.
Common questions
How do I check blood test results on the NHS App?
Log in, select Test results on the home screen, read the notice and select Continue, then choose GP-ordered test results. Hospital-ordered test results may also be offered through a connected service. Check the test name, date and any comments. If you cannot find the result, ask the service that requested the test.
Do blood test results go straight to the NHS App?
Not necessarily. The App shows information released from your GP record or connected hospital service, not every completed laboratory test automatically. Access and release arrangements vary, and you may see a result before anyone contacts you. A delay does not mean a result is normal or abnormal.
Does ‘Normal – No action’ mean nothing is wrong?
No. Some practices use this label when a clinician considers that particular result within the expected range and records no further action for it. It does not rule out every health problem. Keep any existing follow-up plan, and ask for medical advice if symptoms persist or worsen or the comment is unclear.
Can I see all my blood test results in the NHS App?
Not necessarily. The NHS App can show parts of your GP health record where your practice has enabled access, but results requested by hospitals or specialist services may be held elsewhere.
Why can I see the number but no explanation?
Online records generally show the laboratory report as it was issued — value, units, range and any flag. Interpretation happens when a clinician reads the result alongside your symptoms, history and other tests.
My result is flagged high. Should I be worried?
A flag simply means the value sits outside the laboratory's reference range for that test. Many people have results slightly outside the range without it meaning anything is wrong. If you are concerned, or the flag is new, contact the service that requested the test.
How far back do online results go?
That depends on your practice and the service. Some show only results added after record access was enabled; others show more history.
Related medical terms
Plain-English definitions of the wording you may see on your own report.
Medipher uses publicly available information and guidance from trusted health organisations in the UK and internationally, where relevant. They are educational and do not replace advice from your own healthcare professional.
Understand your own report
If you have found your results online and the wording is unfamiliar, Medipher can explain the terminology in plain English. It is educational support and does not diagnose or review your health.
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