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Original poster

Anyone heard of this - no NHS scan if you've had a private scan?

20 replies

mm22bys · 05/07/2007 20:21

Hi, a friend is pregnant, and she had a private scan to confirm her pregnancy. Now she is 14 weeks, she went along to her local NHS hospital for another scan, and after waiting 3 hours she mentioned to them that she had already had a private scan.

They subsequently refused to scan her.

Her DH got involved, and they had "discussions" with the medical team, including a senior registrar, the consultant, and the medical director, and after a further hour, they still refused to scan her.

Has anybody else had this happen to them?

Is this legal?

OP posts:
maisym · 05/07/2007 20:22

haow many weeks was she when she had the scan?

Original poster
mm22bys · 05/07/2007 20:27

The private one? I don't know, but she was around 14 weeks when she had the NHS one.

She has a history of miscarriages, and her DH asked them if they would scan her if she went to A&E and reported bleeding. Their response was "of course". So he told them that's what they would do....

I thought everyone was entitled to at least one NHS scan?

OP posts:
Original poster
mm22bys · 05/07/2007 20:27

The private one? I don't know, but she was around 14 weeks when she had the NHS one.

She has a history of miscarriages, and her DH asked them if they would scan her if she went to A&E and reported bleeding. Their response was "of course". So he told them that's what they would do....

I thought everyone was entitled to at least one NHS scan?

OP posts:
pinkteddy · 05/07/2007 20:28

I think that is completely unacceptable. How do they know what the private scan showed? Have they asked for a copy of it? Surely they need to do their own checks? She could approach the hospital's PALs (Patient Advice and Liaison Service) team and see if that helps. Or what about her GP - is he/she likely to be sympathetic - might have some clout with the hospital - or midwife?

Original poster
mm22bys · 05/07/2007 20:32

I think it's completely unacceptable too, and inappropriately judgmental, and wasteful too, how much would one hour's time of the medical director, senior regitrar, and consultant have costed in itself?

I have to admit, I have taken DS to both a private specialist, and a public one, and I didn't mention the private appt to the NHS one.

Pity they told me two different things, for the same condition!

OP posts:
morocco · 05/07/2007 20:32

had she gone cos she had an appointment for a scan? what did her mw say about it? what are the usual scans in her area on the nhs? my area does a dating scan and then an anomoly scan and that's it, dating one between 10 and 14 weeks I think then anomoly at around 20. She could also complain to Maternity Services Liason committee if there is one.

yogimum · 05/07/2007 20:33

I had scans on the nhs and privately, there wasn't a problem. The sonographer was aware I was having scans privately.

Original poster
mm22bys · 05/07/2007 20:35

I presume she had an appt, I don't know what Trust she's seen through.

At the hospital I had my two DSs at, we could self refer for the early scans, but I don't know how late we can do this for (I presume if we have any "emergencies" we can self-refer at anytime), but this would be a different hospital to the one she's seen at.

I hope they do take it further....

OP posts:
lemonaid · 05/07/2007 20:36

I have known other people online, back when I was pregnant with DS in 2004, who had this problem.

Millarkie · 05/07/2007 20:39

I was refused an early (14 week) scan at an NHS hospital because they knew that I had had a private nuchal scan (which also confirmed my due date) - reason being that this scan is mainly to check pregnancy location and due date which we knew was OK due to private scan.
I still got my 20 week anomaly scan on the NHS though.

Funnily enough one of the reasons that I paid for a private scan was that I wasn't given a booking appointment at the hospital until I was going to be 14week thus too late for a nuchal so I booked a private one and saved the NHS some dosh.

flibbertyjibbet · 05/07/2007 20:42

I told the midwife at my booking in (11 weeks) that I already had a nuchal scan the day before (42yo) when they started on about amnio. So they said no need for the 12ish week dating scan, but still had 20 week anomaly scan.
I think its quite acceptable, the nhs is stretched enough.

Millarkie · 05/07/2007 20:44

If it was a 14 week scan (which is done for dating) and she had already had a scan (which I guess showed that the pregnancy was OK and confirmed her dates) why did she want another one?
I could understand if it was the anomaly scan - but that can't be done til 20 weeks.

lemonaid · 05/07/2007 20:51

Mmm, but the people I knew of had had 6week-ish viability scans privately and then were turned down for NHS nuchal scans. I don't think that's reasonable.

flibbertyjibbet · 05/07/2007 20:58

Are the nhs doing nuchal scans now? Both mine cost a lot and were a lot of travelling but I had no bother at all at the nhs saying that as the private scan gave an accurate dating there was no NEED for a 12-14 weeks dating scan. And that is all they can do at that stage - its the 20 week anomaly scan thats important.

Millarkie · 05/07/2007 21:05

I thought most NHS hospitals still didn't have the facility for nuchal scans - some of the bigger specialist hospitals do them on the NHS (Universtiy College Hospital in London, Queen Charlotte's I think). Mostly NHS just offer dating scans and anomaly scans.
I would be upset if a private viability scan meant that I didn't get an NHS nuchal scan, but then I would be amazed to have the chance of a NHS nuchal in the first place (and at the lack of availability of such things - the equipment used at the places I had my private scans at were far and away better quality than the NHS ultrasonography machines)

lemonaid · 05/07/2007 21:23

In my area (registered at Kingston) nuchal scans were standard. I don't see why they are a problem -- if somewhere has the facilities to do Level II ultrasounds with accurate measurements I'd have expected them to have the facilities to do nuchal ultrasounds with accurate measurements? Or am I missing something obvious?

macdoodle · 05/07/2007 21:35

Bloody ridiculous why shouldn't she have it - I paid for private nuchal which I had at 13 weeks - my midwife has "rushed" my NHS booking scan because I was happy with nuchal and booked late....so I will get NHS "booking" scan at about 17 weeks and anomaly scan a few weeks later..do think they should be doing nuchals nationwide on NHS though...

mummytosteven · 05/07/2007 21:38

at my hospital if they had scanned you at 8 weeks or later, then they wouldn't give you a scan at booking in around 13-15 weeks. Am surprised they would be as strict about private early scans.

Millarkie · 05/07/2007 21:59

Lemonaid - ultrasonographers need special training to do nuchal measurements (it's very easy to get the measurement wrong since you need to be able to distinguish the nuchal fold from the membrane and when you are looking at structures of a couple of mm thick ( normal nuchal being

Heartmum2Jamie · 05/07/2007 22:04

I think that is terrible. Admittedly I had my private scan done with ds1 after my 20 week anomoly scan, but I had further scans late in pregnancy and they were aware of my private scan.

We ds2, I had a viability scan at 6 weeks after a previous m/c and still got a scan at 12 weeks, 15 weeks (I was under 2 hospitals for some strange reason, living on the border for 2 hospitals, I wasn't complaining!), 20 weeks and then another at 38 weeks.

I guess if I go for a private scan if I have any more children I shall keep my mouth shut BUT I will get extra scans anyway for foetal echocardiograms

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