At Threespires Surgery, we continually review our practices to ensure we provide you with the best care in an efficient and patient-centred manner. We are writing to inform you of an important update to our policy regarding urinary tract infections.
As of November 2024, we kindly ask that you do not submit urine samples without prior discussion with our clinical team. Our goal is to move toward a system where we can assess your needs over the phone or during an appointment to determine the most appropriate tests and treatments for you.
By speaking with you directly, we can better understand your symptoms, provide tailored advice, and ensure any testing is both relevant and timely. This approach will help us maintain the highest standards of care, avoid unnecessary testing, and ensure you receive the correct diagnosis and treatment. It is in line with the latest NICE guidelines.
What to Do if You Feel You Need a Urine Test?
If you think you may need a urine test, please fill in one of our online forms (Contact us about your request), or call the reception so they can fill in one for you. One of our clinicians will then contact you on the same day. If a urine sample is necessary, we will ask you to provide one.
PLEASE DO NOT HAND IN A URINE SAMPLE UNLESS YOU GET ASKED TO DO SO.
Our Commitment to Your Health
We understand that this may be a change from what you’re used to, and we appreciate your cooperation. Our commitment to your health and safety remains our priority, and this new system is part of our effort to provide efficient and effective care.
Thank you for your understanding and support.
Warm regards,
Dr Alex Burns
GP Partner, Three Spires Medical Practice
What are urine samples used for?
Your GP or another healthcare professional may ask for a urine sample to help them diagnose or rule out health conditions. Urine contains waste products that are filtered out of the body. If it contains anything unusual, this may indicate an underlying health condition. Common reasons for being asked to provide a urine sample include;
- to diagnose or monitor certain conditions such as type 2 diabetes
- to check for a urinary tract infection (UTI)
- to check for a sexually transmitted infection (STI)
- to confirm that you are pregnant
What do I need to know about collecting a urine sample?
If you are in the practice your GP or nurse will give you a container and explain how to collect a urine sample. On certain occasions you might be asked to provide a urine sample by letter or over the phone. In these instances you can collect a sample container from our reception desk.
To collect a clean urine sample you should:
- label the container with your name, date of birth and the date
- wash your hands
- wash your genitalia to avoid contamination
- start to urinate but don’t collect the first part of urine that comes out
- collect a sample of urine ‘mid-stream’ in a sample container provided by the practice
- screw the lid of the container shut
- wash your hands thoroughly
As long as the sample is clean and properly labelled you can drop the sample container in at the reception desk. If you can’t hand your urine sample in within an hour, you should keep it in a sealed plastic bag in the fridge (for no longer than 24 hours) to prevent bacteria multiplying and affecting the test results.
You can collect a urine sample at any time of day unless your GP or practice nurse advises you otherwise. If your doctor gives you any other instructions, you should also follow these.
What is a mid-stream urine sample?
A mid-stream urine sample means that you don’t collect the first part of urine that comes out or the last part. This reduces the risk of the sample being contaminated with bacteria from:
- your hands
- the skin around the urethra (tube that carries urine out of the body)
How long will I have to wait for a result?
Many urine samples can be quickly analysed using dipstick analysis so you should know the result immediately if you are in the practice or within 24 hours if you have dropped a urine sample off to us.
For some more complex tests we need to send your urine sample off for laboratory testing at one of the local hospitals. In these instances it might take up to 5 days for results to come back to the practice. These are sent electronically and are checked every day by our GPs. If there is a cause for concern we will phone or write to you within 24 hours of receiving the result. We will not routinely inform you if the results are normal.