King's insisting on scan at 1st consultation - is this normal? do all clinics do this?

[sirensong]

I have been in touch with King's Fertility to try to schedule a first consultation. The admin staff are insisting that I also need to pay for a scan - is this normal?

I have had two scans for fibroids very recently. One with Healthshare for the NHS and one with a consultant gynaecologist at the Portland Hospital. I got the latter to record AFC too. I have the images and reports.

I wanted to discuss my scan results with an IVF specialist to see what my options are and to establish what approach King's specifically would take with me. I was snappily told by an administrator that the consultations are not to discuss scans from other clinics.

Do you always have to pay for a scan as part of a first consultation? I'd hoped to speak to a few different places and this seems an unnecessary extra step and cost.

A lot of clinics tend to accept patients own test results providing they are recent and meet their requirements, a lot of general gynae scans don't have AFC/endometrium measurements, aren't 3D or may have the report but not images etc, I can see you have the AFC though, have they said they have a blanket ban on using your own? Unless it was package price which it doesn't sound like it is as they are charging you then it does sound a little harsh, you will likely find other clinics will allow it

One admin person said they'd check with the doctor. Another stormed onto the email thread and said it was "mandatory" at all first appointments. £360 in total - £160 of which is for the scan. One of the reason I was drawn to King's is because they seemed less likely to gouge...

Thing is, I would be happy to pay for a scan down the line if definitely proceeding, but it seems ridiculous to have to at this point given how recently I've had the others. They say they'll accept my AMH result done elsewhere but not the scan (which was 3D in the case of my second one, shows ovary close ups and records my sadly lacking endometrium thickness).