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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

do you have to pay for scan photos?

49 replies

faintpinkline · 07/04/2012 08:47

Our hospital charges £6 for each one. To be honest DP and I don't mind as we are not badly off and know it goes back into maternity services but we worry that it must feel a huge amount to some parents :( The hospital are quite clear they have to be paid for.

We were talking late last night and thought that maybe we could leave £30 with the hospital so that 5 mums can get a photo who may otherwise struggle to afford them. I've already seen one mum in floods of tears because she couldn't afford it that week and given her £5 towards it but it made me so sad :( I know how much pleasure ours gives us and our family - especially dd who can't wait to be a big sister

OP posts:

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Newtothisstuff · 07/04/2012 08:55

what a lovely thing to do.. Ours didn't insist on us paying but asked for a donation so I dropped £10 in their tin.. It is harsh if they insist and you can't afford it lovely lovely thing to do OP

Seona1973 · 07/04/2012 09:01

we have never been charged for scan photos!

KatAndKit · 07/04/2012 09:04

How kind of you to pay for someone else's scan photo. I'm sure that's a gesture that they will remember for many years to come.

Our hospital has a "voluntary contributions" tin. It is right on the reception though so it would be hard to pretend not to have noticed it. They don't ask for much though - £1.50 for a 12 weeker and £3 for a 20 weeker. (and we got four pictures for that not just one). When I have had to have additional scans they have given me a picture for free.

I think charging £5 per print is excessive and unfair to those on lower incomes. I know the picture is not the point of the scan and it isn't medically necessary to have one, but I don't believe it costs a fiver to print each one and I don't think they should be trying to make a big profit from it.

Wilts · 07/04/2012 09:08

We have to pay £10 at our hospital. I don't mind paying to cover costs but think £10 is a bit steep.

Original poster

faintpinkline · 07/04/2012 09:10

£10 and I thought ours were steep

OP posts:

CruciFlisspaps · 07/04/2012 09:12

Ours charge £5 for 1, or 3 (the same) for £10

I think it's a lovely idea OP.

Weekipper · 07/04/2012 09:12

That's a really kind thing to do!

For our scan photos we just had to pay £1.

Littleplasticpeople · 07/04/2012 09:12

Three years ago ours were a voluntary contribution. This time we have had to pay £5. We only had £4 with us but they wouldn't accept it, we had to walk to a cash point and come back!
Lovely gesture paying for someone else's picture

FelixDaSouza · 07/04/2012 09:15

My scan photos were a pound each but we donated a bit more.

I would hate to think someone would miss out on the joy of keeping their scan picture because they couldn't afford it.

Kazar99 · 07/04/2012 09:16

We don't have to pay but there is a voluntary donation tin in the scan room along with a big sign on the wall asking for donations. It's right beside the bed you lie on for the scan and the chair that dh sat on so pretty hard not to see, and worded to strongly hint that a donation is expected from everyone. I got about 6 pictures when I went for my scan at 13 weeks (twins) and we did make a donation. I wouldn't mind if there was small charge for each picture but £6-10 does sound pretty steep to me.

SandyChick · 07/04/2012 09:18

We had to pay £2 per pic. They have a token machine in the waiting area. You buy as many tokens as your want and swap then for pictures when your in having your scan.

However, when we went for our 12 week scan we had completely forgot to take some change so were given the pictures anyway. I think we were given 2-3. We remembered at our 20 week scan.

I don't think £2 is too bad and I didn't feel bad for asking for loads of pics because we had paid for them. I think £10 is far too much. We went for a 4d scan and they only charged £5 per colour print.

It was the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Gateshead.

McPhee · 07/04/2012 09:19

At our hospital, you get a voucher for the cost of £4. This is given to the sonographer and she prints out four piccies.

GoGoBananas · 07/04/2012 09:25

Ours are £3 per pic. I could only afford one but really oddly the printer went beserk and printed 5 and the sonographer said she had no use for them and really we'd better have them.

She was BRILLIANT.

FutureNannyOgg · 07/04/2012 09:26

At our hospital they charge £5 for 2, I always feel it's a bit steep, especially considering the paper is rubbish quality off a roll (I can get large photos printed on proper photo paper at Boots for less than a quid each...) If you get a nice sonographer they sometimes do a couple of extras.
I think it is a lovely thing to do if you can afford to help others out.

missingmymarbles · 07/04/2012 09:32

yes we have to pay £3 a pic. a couple of times we have ended up with an extra one or two because the printer has gone mad
i think last time (different trust), we got the first free but then you had to pay for extras, but again, i'm sure i only actually paid for one, in the event. i have to have lots of scans when i am pregnant, and by the time dd was born, i think they were feeling sorry for me - i didn't ask but they still give me the pics

Hoebag · 07/04/2012 09:34

I think ours were £3

Pascha · 07/04/2012 09:35

Ours was a donation. No minimum amount, notices in reception just said please give if you feel you can spare the change. We were given 6 photos and not explicitly asked for any money, when we asked the scanner lady where to put the donation she got a locked tin out of a drawer.

I get the impression not that many people bothered to leave a donation.

LetsKateWin · 07/04/2012 09:43

I read your name as Fain Pin Kline [busmile] What a kind and thoughtful getsure.

When I had my first scan we paid £3 per photo. When we had the second, the sonographer didn't charge.

Evilwater · 07/04/2012 09:44

£4 for each photo, and no exceptions for staff.

newtonupontheheath · 07/04/2012 09:48

We paid £5 for each of ours (bought 2) AND you can only pay in pound coins AND the little tea shop won't give you change.

Talk about taking the shine off a nice event!!

Lovely idea OP

Purplecatti · 07/04/2012 10:08

we didn't pay anything for our dating scan last week (at Leeds General), and were given two pictures.

CommanderShepard · 07/04/2012 10:11

£10 for 3 here!

Happenstance · 07/04/2012 10:17

£3 for 4 at our hospital although if they are not very good she will give them to you for free.

sparklekitty · 07/04/2012 10:18

ours were £5 for 3 which I didn't think was too bad, they also said all the money went into further staff training. I didn't even think about parents who couldn't afford it (which is stupid of me as I teach in a school where lots of our families struggle to feed and clothe their children so it's not like I'm totally oblivious to it!). What a lovely idea OP, think I might follow you on that one when we go for our 20 week scan. It would be horrid to think that some parents couldn't have photos coz they couldn't afford them.

Chunkychicken · 07/04/2012 10:23

Our local hospital has just got into the paper through the amount they make through charging for scan photos!!

I think we got the first print free and then paid for the other 2, at £5 each at 12wks. I then seem to remember that, because we had to hang around for the scan pics at 20wks, we didn't get charged.

Felt a bit cheeky but their system was rubbish - you had to go to separate office window near the entrance, pay the cash only, then come back & tell the sonographer how many you had paid for!! The window wasn't always open either...(which might be why we didn't pay at 20wks).

I think the hospital say that clinically they don't need scan pictures printed out, so they have to charge to cover costs. I still think £5 is a bit steep & given the vast numbers of bumps that go through the scans, they must make the cost of th printer back times over, let alone the 20p or whatever cost of the paper!!!

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