GP Failed to Review Blood Test Results

You have a blood test because you are worried about your health, or because your GP wants to investigate something that may be wrong. You trust them to review the results carefully and tell you if anything needs further attention.

Finding out that your blood test results were not properly reviewed can be deeply upsetting. You may have been reassured that everything was fine, only to discover later that your results contained something that should have been investigated. You may now be wondering whether your condition could have been diagnosed sooner and whether earlier treatment could have made a difference.

If your GP failed to review your blood test results and this led to a delayed diagnosis, delayed treatment or avoidable harm, you may be able to make a medical negligence claim.

At Macks Solicitors, we understand how difficult it can be to discover that something important may have been missed. Our specialist medical negligence solicitors can listen to what happened, review the circumstances of your care and explain your legal options clearly.

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For no-obligation advice and information, call our specialist medical negligence solicitors today on 01642 843 667 or use our contact form and we will call you back.

What Does It Mean If a GP Fails to Review Blood Test Results?

When your GP orders blood tests, the results should be reviewed and considered alongside your symptoms, medical history and any other information available. Depending on the results, your GP may need to:

• Reassure you that no further action is needed.
• Arrange another appointment.
• Repeat the blood tests.
• Arrange further investigations.
• Refer you to another healthcare professional.
• Start or change treatment.
• Monitor you more closely.

A blood test result does not always provide a clear diagnosis on its own. However, if a result is abnormal or raises concerns, it may need appropriate follow-up.

If your GP fails to review the results or does not take appropriate action after reviewing them, this may be relevant to a medical negligence claim if you subsequently suffer harm.

Can a GP Fail to Review Blood Test Results?

Yes. In some cases, blood test results may not be reviewed properly, may not be acted upon or may not be communicated to the patient. This could happen if:

• Your results are not reviewed within an appropriate timeframe.
• An abnormal result is overlooked.
• Your GP does not recognise that a result requires further investigation.
• You are told that your results are normal when they are not.
• Your results are not followed up with another appointment or test.
• A concerning result is not communicated to you.
• No appropriate treatment or referral is arranged.

The circumstances will need to be investigated to establish what happened and whether the care you received was appropriate.

What Happens If My GP Does Not Act on Abnormal Blood Test Results?

An abnormal blood test result may sometimes be an early indication that something is wrong. If the result is not properly reviewed or acted upon, an underlying condition may go undiagnosed. This can mean that you do not receive the treatment or monitoring you needed at the appropriate time.

The consequences will depend on the condition involved. A failure to review or act on blood test results could potentially result in:

• A delayed diagnosis.
• Delayed treatment.
• A condition becoming more serious.
• Symptoms becoming worse.
• Additional complications.
• More extensive treatment being needed.
• Avoidable pain and suffering.

In some cases, the most important question will be whether acting on the blood test results sooner would have changed your outcome.

If you believe your GP failed to properly review or act on your blood test results, our specialist medical negligence solicitors can help you understand your options. Call our specialist medical negligence solicitors today on 01642 843 667 or use our contact form and we will call you back.

What If My GP Told Me My Blood Tests Were Normal?

Being told that your blood tests were normal can understandably give you reassurance. You may believe that your symptoms are nothing serious and continue with your everyday life.

It can therefore be particularly difficult to discover later that your results may have contained an abnormality that should have been investigated.

If you were given incorrect reassurance about your blood test results and this contributed to a delay in diagnosis or treatment, it may be appropriate to investigate the care you received.

Your medical records and the original test results can help establish what information was available to your GP and what should reasonably have happened afterwards.

Can a GP Fail to Tell Me About Abnormal Blood Test Results?

Yes. If your blood test results indicate that further action is needed, you may expect your GP practice to communicate the results and explain what needs to happen next. A potential failure could occur if:

• You are not informed that a result is abnormal.
• You are not told that further testing is required.
• You are not given an appointment to discuss the results.
• No appropriate treatment is arranged.
• You are not advised to seek further medical attention.

Whether this amounts to medical negligence will depend on the circumstances and whether the failure caused you harm.

It may also be important to establish whether you were expected to contact the surgery yourself or whether the practice had responsibility for arranging further care.

Could Missed Blood Test Results Delay a Diagnosis?

They can. Blood tests are used to investigate a wide range of symptoms and medical conditions, and abnormal results can sometimes provide important information about a patient’s health.

If a concerning result is missed or not acted upon, the underlying condition may not be identified until a later date.

For example, you may have had blood tests because of ongoing symptoms, but the results were not properly reviewed. Months later, you may have become more unwell and undergone further testing, leading to a diagnosis that could potentially have been made earlier.

A medical negligence claim would need to consider whether the earlier blood test results should have led to further action and whether this would have avoided or reduced the harm you suffered.

What If I Kept Going Back to My GP With Symptoms?

It can be especially difficult if you sought medical help more than once but did not receive an explanation for your symptoms.

You may have trusted your GP when they reassured you or told you that nothing concerning had been found. Discovering later that your blood test results should have prompted further investigation can leave you with difficult questions about why your concerns were not acted upon. Your medical records can help establish:

• What symptoms you reported.
• When you attended your GP.
• Why blood tests were requested.
• What the results showed.
• Whether the results were reviewed.
• What you were told about them.
• Whether further investigations or treatment were arranged.
• When your condition was eventually diagnosed.

This information can help a medical negligence solicitor understand whether there was a missed opportunity to diagnose or treat your condition sooner.

What Evidence Is Needed for a GP Blood Test Negligence Claim?

Your medical records will usually be an important source of evidence. These may include:

• Your GP records.
• Blood test results.
• Letters and correspondence.
• Details of GP appointments.
• Records of referrals and further investigations.
• Prescriptions and medication records.
• Hospital records.
• Records relating to your eventual diagnosis and treatment.

Independent medical evidence may also be needed. A medical expert can consider whether your GP should have taken different action after receiving your results and whether doing so would have made a difference to your health.

Can I Claim Compensation If My GP Failed to Review My Blood Test Results?

You may be able to make a medical negligence claim if your GP failed to provide an appropriate standard of care when dealing with your blood test results and this caused you avoidable harm. Compensation may reflect:

• Pain and suffering.
• Additional treatment you have needed.
• Rehabilitation costs.
• Loss of earnings.
• Care and assistance.
• Travel and other expenses.
• Future financial losses.
• The impact of your condition on your everyday life.

The value of a claim will depend on the circumstances and the extent of the harm caused.

Importantly, an abnormal blood test result or a delayed diagnosis does not automatically mean that your GP was negligent. The evidence will need to establish whether the appropriate action should have been taken and whether this would have made a difference to your outcome.

How Long Do I Have to Make a Claim?

In most medical negligence claims, you generally have three years to begin legal proceedings. This will usually run from the date the negligence occurred or from the date you became aware, or should reasonably have become aware, that your injury may have been caused by medical negligence.

There are exceptions to the usual time limits, including claims involving children and people who lack mental capacity.

Why Choose Macks Solicitors?

Finding out that your blood test results may not have been properly reviewed can be difficult to come to terms with, particularly if you trusted your GP to tell you when something needed further attention.

At Macks Solicitors, our specialist medical negligence solicitors understand that behind every set of medical records is a person who was relying on their healthcare team to recognise when something was wrong.

We will take the time to understand what happened, look at the care you received and explain your options in straightforward language.

If there are grounds to investigate a potential claim, we can help you obtain the evidence needed and support you throughout the legal process.

Contact Us

If you believe your GP failed to review your blood test results properly or failed to act when they should have, you do not have to work out what happened on your own.

Call our specialist medical negligence solicitors today on 01642 843 667; alternatively, complete our online contact form and one of our solicitors will be in touch.