Published: 16 Apr 2023

Often, you're done within five minutes, give or take the waiting room time.

Sometimes, the lab will be located in a health center where multiple health services are offered. It's rarely as stressful as you think it'll be. Other times, the lab will send the results directly to your doctor for you.
When choosing a lab, find a location that has good online reviews. When your doctor orders a blood test, you can take the request to your nearest lab. The technicians should be knowledgeable and friendly.
Do You Need to Get Routine Blood Tests Done? If you have upcoming routine blood work, don't worry. Consider also getting your eyes examined before or after your blood tests.Then, you'll need to take them to your doctor. Your doctor may recommend one or your friends and family could recommend one.
Ultimately, you want to choose a lab that has a good reputation. Blood labs operate privately and do everything on site.
That means you get blood drawn in the same location as the blood analysis.
Sometimes, you'll get called when the results are ready for you to pick up.

Each bottle is labelled with your name, date of birth and hospital number, when the blood was taken, and has a different coloured top according to the type of test. Then they are taken to be analysed.
Blood tests can be used for many different things, including to check cholesterol and blood glucose levels. If blood test results are abnormal, it gives the doctors a good indication of how to treat you or prevent problems occurring in the future.
This may be done in hospital or by your GP or practice nurse. A test for troponin can help to diagnose a heart attack, and a test for brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) can help diagnose heart failure.
If you take warfarin, your INR level (a measure of how quickly your blood will clot) will be tested regularly to make sure that you are prescribed the correct dose.If you're having an NHS health check, your blood test is usually a quick finger prick test that looks at the blood's glucose and cholesterol levels. Blood needs a very precise balance in order for your body to work well. If the results are higher than recommended, you may be asked to go to your hospital for a full blood test.
Usually, the blood bottles contain small amounts of a chemical to stop your blood clotting in the tube, so it can be measured accurately in the lab. Blood tests are usually done to check how your body copes with illness, injury, inflammation, infection and some types of medication. These help monitor your risk of heart and circulatory diseases and diabetes, or how your condition is being managed.
Tests for different chemicals and proteins can indicate how your liver or kidneys are working.