Blood tests in Göteborg without a referral

What without a referral means in practice

A referral is an order from a doctor to the laboratory. Without one there is nothing for the phlebotomist to take, and nothing for the laboratory to analyse.

When you buy a test privately, the order comes with the purchase. You do not need to see a doctor first to get a referral. That is what without a referral means. In public care the blood test is instead a step in an investigation that care has decided on.

You pay yourself, and you decide which values to measure. If the result shows something that needs following up, public care is where you go.

Public sampling in Göteborg

According to 1177 the most common route is to give a blood sample at the health centre where you are registered. With a referral from a doctor you can give a sample at any health centre, and many hospitals also run a dedicated sampling unit.

Göteborg has two such units inside Sahlgrenska University Hospital. Provtagning Sahlgrenska is at Blå stråket 5, between waypoints D and H on level 0, and accepts patients aged 13 and over. Provtagning Östra is at Diagnosvägen 11, waypoint C on level -1, and accepts patients of all ages. Both are open weekdays 07.15 to 15.30 and closed at weekends. There are also sampling units in Angered, Högsbo and Mölndal.

Fees are set by Västra Götalandsregionen. A doctor's visit at the health centre where you are registered costs 200 kr, and 300 kr at a different one. Sampling that is not part of a care visit costs 50 kr, and 100 kr at a health centre where you are not registered. Children and young people under 20 have free healthcare, and from the day you turn 85 outpatient care is free of charge.

What these units have in common is that they take samples care has ordered. They do not sell test packages to people who want to measure their own values.

Where you give your sample with us

Our Göteborg sampling site is at Södra Vägen 23, in the blocks by Avenyn. It is open weekdays 08.00 to 12.00 and 13.00 to 15.30, and until 15.00 on Fridays. You walk in when it suits you and give your sample. Bring photo ID.

One detail worth knowing: arrive by 15.00 so the samples can reliably be sent the same day. Come later and the sample is still taken, but it leaves with the next transport.

Paid parking is available in P-Hus Avenyn in the same building, entrance from Kristinelundsgatan 15, and at Heden, entrance from Engelbrektsgatan.

Beyond Göteborg there are sampling sites in several towns across Västra Götaland, among them Mölndal, Kungälv, Alingsås, Borås, Uddevalla and Falköping. Current addresses and opening hours are on the sampling locations page. Hours can differ on public holidays and at each clinic's own discretion.

The venous draw and why the time of day matters

The sample is venous, taken from a vein. According to 1177 it is usually taken from the crook of the elbow or the back of the hand, and a sample from a vein yields enough blood to be used for several or more advanced analyses. A finger prick gives only a drop of blood and covers only certain analyses.

Once the sample is taken a clock starts. The regions' own laboratory instructions state that a blood sample, unless otherwise specified for the individual analysis, can be kept at room temperature only if the laboratory processes it within four hours. That is the technical background to sampling sites having a cut-off for the day's transport.

For you it means a sample taken in the morning is often at the laboratory the same day, while one taken late in the afternoon may become a day later. You will be notified when your results are available in your account. A doctor's review is included.

Practical points before you go

Bring photo ID.

Check whether your test requires fasting. According to 1177, fasting means not eating or drinking for a set period before the draw, usually ten hours. What applies to your particular test is in the instruction you receive.

Do not come in if you are ill. According to 1177 you should usually not give a blood sample when you have a cold, a fever or a sore throat, because your values can be temporarily altered.

Sit down for a while before the sample is taken. The regions' laboratory instructions recommend that the patient rests for at least 15 minutes before sampling.

If needles make you anxious, say so to the person taking the sample. According to 1177 it can then be more comfortable to sit or lie down.

This article is general health information, not medical advice and not an assessment of your values. If you have symptoms or concerns, contact your healthcare provider.