If you’ve had any kind of medical scan, have you been shown the images?

[AintNobodyHereButUsChickens]

Random thought of the night while I can’t sleep.

Back in 2017 I had a CT scan and told I had shingles, in 2021 I had an Xray and told I have arthritis, in 2022 I had an MRI and told I had a slipped disc. I was never shown the images from any of these scans! Same with my mum, back in 2023 she was diagnosed with cancer but I don’t believe she was shown the images either, and neither were we when they told us they’d done more scans which showed it was rapidly progressing.

The only scans I’ve had that I’ve seen the images of are my pregnancies.

Why were we never shown the images? Is that normal practice? I’d like to see them, especially with my back problem, I’d like a visual so I can understand it better. Would my GP have the images on file or are they just sent the final reports by radiology?

Yes I've been shown my MRI scans of my brain and can also access them on the patient portal for the hospital. I was also shown the MRI scans of my back last week for my bulging disk.

No, id just want a copy of the report.

Yes. The doctor brings them up on screen in office and goes over them as the diagnosis is discussed. I also get an electronic copy in the hospital system app. I had an X-ray a few weeks ago and my phone pinged with my copies right as the doctor walked into the room to go over them on his computer.

I am not in the UK.