• Reference Number: HEY1548/2025
• Departments: Radiology
• Last Updated: 30 June 2025

Introduction

You have been referred to the Rapid Diagnostic Service (RDS) by your GP. This leaflet is intended to give you general information about what happens after you have undergone your imaging tests. This leaflet should answer most of your questions although it is not intended to replace the discussion between you and your doctor. If you have any remaining concerns or require further explanation, please discuss this with a member of the health care team who has been caring for you or contact your GP.

What happens now I have had my tests?

Your GP should have arranged for you to have blood tests before your visit today.

You will have received an ultrasound scan today. You may have also had a chest x-ray, or within the last six weeks.

When all imaging tests have been performed, the results will be sent to a clinical specialist who will review the ultrasound findings, chest x-ray and your current blood and clinical tests. The clinical specialist will then provide a report and advice to your GP, including whether any further tests are recommended.

The sonographer may be happy with the ultrasound scan, but this will need to be reviewed, along with the chest x-ray and your blood results to make sure we have performed all the investigations you need.

Occasionally, upon review of your imaging it may be necessary to ask you to have further tests. This may be due to poor detail or a finding that requires further investigation, for example, the pancreas is an organ that lies beneath your bowel. Occasionally it is difficult to see with detail on ultrasound as there is too much air in the way. In this case, we will arrange a different test, a CT or MRI, which can look past the air in your bowel and see the pancreas in a different way.

You may receive an appointment for further tests before you have spoken to your GP.  This does not necessarily mean there is an abnormality, more often it is because further information is required to understand your current health status. You will receive a telephone call from our RDS Nurse Specialist team prior to any extra tests for further assessment.

If we find no cause of your symptoms, you will receive a letter informing you as such and we will discharge back to the care of your GP.

Should you require further advice on the issues contained in this leaflet, please do not hesitate to contact the Radiology Department RDS Nurse Specialists on tel: 01482 469370.

General Advice and Consent

Most of your questions should have been answered by this leaflet, but remember that this is only a starting point for discussion with the healthcare team.

Consent to treatment

Before any doctor, nurse or therapist examines or treats you, they must seek your consent or permission. In order to make a decision, you need to have information from health professionals about the treatment or investigation which is being offered to you. You should always ask them more questions if you do not understand or if you want more information.

The information you receive should be about your condition, the alternatives available to you, and whether it carries risks as well as the benefits. What is important is that your consent is genuine or valid. That means:

• you must be able to give your consent
• you must be given enough information to enable you to make a decision
• you must be acting under your own free will and not under the strong influence of another person

Information about you

We collect and use your information to provide you with care and treatment. As part of your care, information about you will be shared between members of a healthcare team, some of whom you may not meet. Your information may also be used to help train staff, to check the quality of our care, to manage and plan the health service, and to help with research. Wherever possible we use anonymous data.

We may pass on relevant information to other health organisations that provide you with care. All information is treated as strictly confidential and is not given to anyone who does not need it. If you have any concerns please ask your doctor, or the person caring for you.

Under the General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018 we are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of any information we hold about you. For further information visit the following page: Confidential Information about You.

If you or your carer needs information about your health and wellbeing and about your care and treatment in a different format, such as large print, braille or audio, due to disability, impairment or sensory loss, please advise a member of staff and this can be arranged.