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Pregnancy

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

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Original poster

Scan pictures - costs

80 replies

Crumbles12 · 21/01/2016 08:41

Have just had the date through for my dating scan and the letter says they will charge £5 per picture printed. Is this quite standard now? When we had printed pictures with DS 4 years ago they printed 4 pictures per scan and just asked for a donation, so found £5 per picture a bit steep!

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Cric · 21/01/2016 08:42

We paid £10 for 5ish. But think each hospital is different.

sepa · 21/01/2016 08:43

Mine was £5 for 1 or £10 for 3. When we opted (on 20 week scan) for 3 they all looked the same so paying £5 for 1 for us would have been better.
I think it's hospital dependant about a charge or not

GunShotResidue · 21/01/2016 08:44

We were charged £5 for one pic at my 3 month scan 2 months ago, and the same (or possibly £4) 2 years ago when pregnant with DD. For both pregnancies I got a free picture at the 20 week scan as they were being awkward and wouldn't pose. We're in the West Midlands :)

Gunting · 21/01/2016 08:48

It was £4 for my ds scan pictures in April/June last year

crumblybiscuits · 21/01/2016 08:49

Ours are £5 each but we have had about 30 for free due to our last DD having a chromosonal abnormality picked up via ultrasound. They don't tend to charge you when your baby is poorly which is nice. They've continued giving us free scan pics throughout this pregnancy too as they remember us from DD2. I'm pleased as a fiver is bloody extortionate to me!

bippitybopityboo · 21/01/2016 08:51

My dating scan was 1 picture for free but the lady gave us 2. Then at my 20 week scan it's £5 for 4. That does seem very steep

JellyBaby26 · 21/01/2016 08:58

Our hospital charge but I have managed to get 12 pictures for free.

I just play dumb and don't buy the ticket before hand and then say "ooh can we get pictures please". Am sure it depends on who is scanning you though but I have been lucky!

Hamsolo · 21/01/2016 09:01

First time round it was £2 per pic, and we paid for 2 and got 5 or 6. This time round, free, and they still printed the same amount.

Outaboutnowt · 21/01/2016 09:01

We got our 12 week scans for free (6 of them) as we were the only couple on the day who agreed to have a student do the scan as part of her final exams. If they offer that I'd recommend it to anyone as she was brilliant. We also had a very early scan (6weeks) and the sonogropher printed one for us.

Our 20 weeks were £5 for 3.
It's weird how much it varies hospital to hospital. I think £5 for one picture is ridiculous. I wonder where the money goes? It would be nice if the proceeds went to a charity for pregnancy loss or stillbirth or NICU. It doesn't cost much to print them.

Whatthefreakinwhatnow · 21/01/2016 09:02

I paid £10 for pictures with both DD'S, and for that they printed off any good images they got, so I had maybe 3 or 4 both times.

To be honest, I was happy to pay if it means they can keep offering keepsakes like this, the NHS is so skint that if we don't, they'll stop doing it altogether which would be a really shame over £10/15.

Original poster

Crumbles12 · 21/01/2016 09:02

Oh I didn't think there might be a ticket system to purchase before hand! Do you have to tell them how many you might like before going in? Last time as it was only a donation I just remember a pot in the room to put some coins in, I know it is money for the NHS and I don't mind paying but was just suprised as we would probably want a couple and £10+ each time seems a bit pricey!

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OhShutUpThomas · 21/01/2016 09:05

Ours are free

FourForYouGlenCoco · 21/01/2016 09:10

I'm currently waiting for my 12-week scan and have just paid £18 for 4 pictures, so £4.50 each. When I had DD a few years ago it was £12 for 4. It's a bit bloody steep but I agree with a pp, I'd rather pay it and get photos than not have photos.

BendydickCuminsnatch · 21/01/2016 09:11

£1.50 each at Kings in London

Outaboutnowt · 21/01/2016 09:12

OP at our hospital you had to have five pound coins and buy a token in a machine.

I know the NHS is skint but it seems very unfair that some couples get several for free whilst some are paying £10 for two pictures. It is pretty extortionate, it should be a standard charge across all hospitals IMO.
I'm happy to support the NHS but like I say it would be nice to know where this money does actually go. I'd happily pay £10+ if they explained it was supporting bereaved parents/premature babies etc. The money could be kept to help NHS services, I would appreciate that.

Bellejournee · 21/01/2016 09:17

£6 for one pic. I was lucky at my 20 week scan, the sonographer printer a load off for free as the machine wasn't working to purchase the token.

wonkylegs · 21/01/2016 09:23

They do not need to print the pictures for any medical reason any more so the specialist printers, paper & ink (they aren't standard) are only needed for pictures for parents so there is a quite high cost to be borne by the unit. As there clearly isn't any spare cash in the NHS it's understandable that we pay for them.
Different units have different costs and different machines.
At ours it's £4 a picture, you only have to pay after the scan, however if there is a problem they will sometimes give you a picture for free, they are quite sympathetic.

TheGreaterGood · 21/01/2016 09:25

£5 for one or £10 for 3 at Southampton. You buy a ticket from a machine before your scan...although the sonographer never asked for the ticket so not sure why we bothered! Ours were all different with some showing the head better and some the legs so I'm glad we had 3.

GizzyBoo · 21/01/2016 09:28

I got about 6 photos at each scan and there was no charge at all.
It varies lots depending on where you are.

Wardrobespierre · 21/01/2016 09:32

It was around £3 per picture here. I could only afford one but the sonographer gave me several.

I think "playing dumb" to get a freebie is quite bad if I'm honest.

crumblybiscuits · 21/01/2016 09:37

I think "playing dumb" to get a freebie is quite bad if I'm honest.

They have a small fund to cover situations where baby is poorly to give out free photos and those photos are so important to those parents. My scan photos are the only real lasting thing I have of my DD2. I hate to think that people are abusing that.

Monten · 21/01/2016 09:38

I don't mind paying but can't believe hospitals (including mine now) make you buy tokens in advance. I've had several scans with bad outcomes and it's just too much like tempting fate for me to buy in advance before I know everything is alright. Surely paying after makes much more sense?

PurpleDaisies · 21/01/2016 09:41

Surely paying after makes much more sense?
I suspect they've had problems with people doing a runner without paying, and if you pay after I'd have thought you'd have to do it via a person instead of a machine which means hiring someone/taking up the time of another member of staff. In principle I agree it would be better.

TheGreaterGood · 21/01/2016 09:47

Moten - we thought that too. Having had 2 MMCs (discovered at 8 & 10 weeks at the EPU so no tokens system there), we were questioning the practice of buying tokens in advance. Luckily for us we'd already had several scans before our 12-weeker this time so we were reasonably confident. But the thought of trying to get a refund after a bad outcome scan makes me shudder...

Original poster

Crumbles12 · 21/01/2016 09:48

Oh I do completely understand there has to be a charge as its a completely optional choice and does cost the hospital to print, but at the same time I don't think the photos can actually cost £5 each to print and could get really costly if you have many scans, I also feel funny about buying tokens before the scan without knowing how it will all go and if it will be okay. With my 1st DC she simply asked us if we wanted pictures then we had to pay then and there before we left and were given them, I think that system worked fine?

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