Dr Öhman has brought another variable into the equation.
His suggestion of requests for tests made directly by patients does not
reflect
common practice in UK laboratories, although it might do in some other
countries.
As far as I can recall the only tests we have done at the direct request of
members
of the public are those for alcohol assay in blood samples taken by the
police surgeon
at the time of apprehension of the subject for possible driving when under
the
influence; but these are not really patients. We have of course
occasionally
unknowingly carried out requests by doctors for analysis of their own
personal samples
and they can access the results over the computer network to which they have
access.
But in the UK, as far as I am aware, with the exception of these and
possibly in a few
other minor areas, all our samples in the NHS or the private sector come via
the
patient's medical advisor or other members of the clinical team.
David Williams
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