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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

£5 a scan picture?!

168 replies

CSISaraSidle · 05/07/2018 18:32

I was at my ultrasound scan the other day and decided I'd quite like a picture. When my mum had me she got it in a lovely little card thing with corner cutouts to hold it. It was very sweet, and I assumed mine would be the same!
When I was handed a tear off printout that had been torn badly and was told "that'll be £5, please pay at this machine" I was a little Shock!

OP posts:
BlueBug45 · 05/07/2018 18:58

@Thesearmsofmine both of my local hospitals with maternity units have their own charities. You can choose to donate to the neonates, children's or particular other departments, a particular ward, for specific equipment or just generally. I didn't check if any of the scan photo money went into that. However if I choose to donate - and I have done - I tend to do it generally as older children/young people and OAPs plus certain illnesses are the ones who tend not to get money specifically donated to them.

elliejjtiny · 05/07/2018 18:58

It cost £6.50 for each photo when I had my babies. My photos of dc4 were free from the 20 week scan onwards because they discovered he had a health problem. I wasn't sure whether to be pleased or offended by that! There are photos of the 20 week scan in either his or my medical notes too.

Terri84 · 05/07/2018 18:59

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Terri84 · 05/07/2018 19:00

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JabberWabber · 05/07/2018 19:00

@NorfolkEnchance

"10 each in Coventry!"

They changed it while I was pregnant to 3 for £10.

Theweasleytwins · 05/07/2018 19:02

It is £5 for 1 or £10 for 3 at my local hospital although generally the machine is broken or the sonographer has given them to us for free as she said the pictures weren't great

Original poster
CSISaraSidle · 05/07/2018 19:02

Thanks prosecco! Yeah, I think part of the shock was that on no letters were the costs of scan pictures ever explained to me. I had expected to pay for them but when I heard £5 I was a bit shocked, having not thought about the other things the money could be going towards. Another thing was that you were not allowed to photograph or video the screen, which my sister (who came with me) was quite disappointed with as she wanted to catch a video of her niece moving.

OP posts:
Wheresmycustard · 05/07/2018 19:02

Fwiw I think yanbu, where I am (in UK) I've never walked away from a scan without at least 3 scan pics and never paid a penny.
I used to live in a different part of UK and had a ultrasound (non pregnancy related) but it was one department that did all scans and there was signs up saying you need to go buy them from a machine before going into scan, had them the printed slip and they'd give you the appropriate number of pics.
I asked mum friends at the time and apparently the sign in the waiting room is the first your told of this and it only takes cash so if you don't have cash on you then you don't get a photo of your scan. I was a bit 🤨 over it.

I wouldn't have minded paying for mine but £5 for each individual one is a bit steep and not knowing in advance is tight

Fuckedoffat48b · 05/07/2018 19:03

I'm with you OP. I appreciate it isn't a vital part of the process but neither is finding out the sex of your baby and people get that for free.

I paid it and I hope it helps, but think the eagerness of the hospital to charge so much more than it actually costs leaves a bit of a bitter taste tbh.

Original poster
CSISaraSidle · 05/07/2018 19:03

I do understand that though, cameras and phones shouldn't be allowed in medical facilities because it's a serious business, not done for entertainment.

OP posts:
MrsFogi · 05/07/2018 19:03

I would be horrified if the NHS didn't charge for pictures - they're running a health service (on a very tight budget) so can hardly afford to have a side line in printing free photos.

Fuckedoffat48b · 05/07/2018 19:04

CSISara cameras and recording equipment were banned at my scan for exactly that reason. It said so on the appointment letter.

CocoDeMoll · 05/07/2018 19:04

I love the NHS saved my life more than once. £5 for a photo is a lot. YANBU

Buildalegohouse · 05/07/2018 19:04

Ours are £6. The token machine where you get them says that’s for one but I’ve always been given 3 or 4 (was given loads for my twins as they printed individual ones of each twin and ones of them together).

They give you a lovely little display card with footprints on too.

wonderstar1216 · 05/07/2018 19:04

All 3 pregnancies in the last 6 years and every picture is £2.50 each. Depending on sonographer you may get some of the same, but last time I got 3 v different pics which was lovely.

Also had an early scan as was having problems and she was just a bean shape but the chap told me to put it in my bag and be thankful that everything was ok. Super nice of the chap

LyndseyKola · 05/07/2018 19:06

It’s so refreshing to see a poster realising they were BU and owning up to it cheerfully! Good for you OP :)

I was just wondering, for families who can’t afford it, are they allowed to take a photo on their phone of the print out? Not the screen, but the print out? Or is it not printed out unless you can pay?

OurMiracle1106 · 05/07/2018 19:07

The reality is that the scan is not to be videoed or photos taken it is to check the health of Mum and baby. You can request a copy of your medical records and get a printed version of the scan photo which will be on normal a4 paper if you so wish for free. However providing scan photos is not a necessary medical procedure but something nice for the Mum.

I believe if you’ve lost a baby (as I suffered 2 missed miscarriages) it could be argued providing 1 scan photo could ease the grieving process but other than that you have no NEED for it.

katienana · 05/07/2018 19:08

£1 each at the RVI in Newcastle. I think I.used to.take about £3, but at least once got given more pictures. For ds1 20 week scan there's a really clear image of his skull turned facing the camera and a sweet one of his foot too. I think the sonographer was quite pleased with how clear they were. I have some from a 32 week scan too where we could see baby already had loads of hair.

Original poster
CSISaraSidle · 05/07/2018 19:08

I believe if you get 3 pictures it's just three copies of the same picture at my hospital. I hadn't got any pictures for the routine scans (at the last one they said she wasn't posing and refused to print one, which was fair enough!) but when I was having to have the growth ones I thought I'd better get one!

OP posts:
Downpatrick · 05/07/2018 19:08

I get annoyed when people point out that the thermal paper only costs a few pence, well the machine taking the photo cost £90-100,000 and the sonographer taking the image knows how to use it.

You don’t tell a wedding photographer that you’ll only pay them the price of the photographic paper or the disc they put the images on.

diddl · 05/07/2018 19:11

It sounds quite a lot to me as well.

Mine kids were born in 96 & 97 Op-you're making me feel old now!

Original poster
CSISaraSidle · 05/07/2018 19:14

Well, 22 is quite young to have a baby so don't feel too old!

OP posts:
OlennasWimple · 05/07/2018 19:14

YANBU that they should say on the appointment letter that photos are available for purchase at £5 each, though

BertieBotts · 05/07/2018 19:16

TBH I think if there was a donation box towards the cost of the NHS hardly anybody would put money into it, people like to think they are getting something concrete for their money.

BertieBotts · 05/07/2018 19:17

And yes it should say on the letter, mine didn't and I only knew to take cash because I used to be on ivillage and they warned me on there.

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