Doctors

[alicephilippa]

Phoned the docs this afternoon to collect the results of last weeks blood tests — fasting glucose/glucose tolerance.

DS: Hi, L***** how can I help you?
Me: I' ve called to see if the results of the tests I had done last week are ready.
DS: Just a moment...

DS: Name please?
Me: Alice Chapman
DS: Address?
Me: 7..........
DS: Glucose tolerance wasn't it?
Me: Yes
DS: They aren't back yet.
Me: The blood tests done the other week were back in a couple of days.
DS: Glucose tolerance test results take quite a bit longer. If there's a problem we'll be straight in touch with you.
Me: Hmm.
DS: Is there anything else?
Me: No. Thank you.

<FX: hangs up>

WTF?

How does running a glucose assay against 2 vacutainers take longer than running the shed load¹ of tests I had done a couple of weeks ago?

Alice.

¹ Testosterone, prolactin, FSH, LH, urea, electrolytes, liver function, thyroid function, fasting glucose, full blood count.

Comments

[nerdware.livejournal.com]

Different labs, different workloads, etc? Labs are like everything else. Standard disclaimers apply. E.g. "Your mileage may vary."

[alicephilippa.livejournal.com]

Nah. It all goes to Countess of Chester Hospital pathology lab. Which funnily enough is in Chester.

It's been suggested to me, that because it was a glucose tolerance test, that it has to pass across the desk of a consultant before being released to my GP. Personally, I doubt that this is the case.

Alice.

[nerdware.livejournal.com]

There may be a lot of factors...