harmony test or double marker test or NHS 10 week scan???which one??

[Sumana]

hi friends....i am really confused and worried as well...this is my first time in UK and i am 7 weeks pregnant and i dont have enough information for the above mentioned test.
please help me out to ....
1).does NHS do scan and test as included in the harmony test ?
2) if not where is the best place in london to go for the test and how much i need to spend

Thank you very much

1 the nhs does not do the harmony test.

2 not sure - I don't live in London.

If this is your first time tin the UK, do you meet the residency requirements for use of the nhs?

Private Harmony tests are normally between £400-£600 as a very rough guide.

The NHS will do a 12 week scan not a 10 week. It will include measurements taken for the combined test which is done for everyone unless you opt out. The results are only fairly accurate.
Or you can pay for Harmony or an alternative. There are LOTS of places in London that offer NIPT testing. Several on Harley street for instance but even Babybond offers harmony these days.

The NHS does a scan at 12 weeks, plus blood tests, which is called the 'combined test'. Your probability of the baby having downs syndrome (not sure what, if any, other markers are looked for at this stage) is calculated based on your age and these two tests.

If you want a more accurate test, you can pay privately to have a NIPT test (there are several brand names, including Harmony for this) at a private clinic. There are many in London. I used the Fetal Medicine Centre which was excellent and included a really detailed scan at both 10 weeks (when blood was taken for the harmony test) and 12 weeks (when i received the results of the blood test).
Whichever you choose - good luck!

I tried to PM this but for some reason MN eon’t let me send.
The Fetal Medicine Centre’s fees are online here:
www.fetalmedicine.com/treatment-fees
I got the £400 deal to have it done at 10 & 12 weeks, and i booked as soon as i knew i was pregnant to be sure of my dates, i imagine they get quite busy closer to the date.
Good luck!

An NIPT test is only more accurate than the NHS test for those women identified as high risk in the latter, otherwise it’s about as accurate for Downs as the NHS Combined Screening / Quadruple test for Downs and less accurate for Edwards and Patau. Only pay for the NIPT test if you have been identified as high risk by the NHS tests as a buffer before CVS / Amnio.

I paid for the private NIPT test prior to having NHS tests (awaiting results now) because of being almost 40, and age being one of the factors they assess your risk on.

There are a lot of places that do it - but if in London I would go to the Fetal Medicine Centre.

I'm not sure why people are saying you don't get the Harmony test on the NHS, you can, I've had it done.. however, you are only offered this if there are indicators from the scan that suggest there's a possibility of some kind of defect e.g. fluid on the nuchal fold. They don't offer it routinely for everyone as there's no need.

As above, NIPT is done on the nhs in my area (South Wales, I'd be very surprised if all of Wales wasn't the same), but only if you come out as high risk from the combined screening.

@physicskate seriously, asking her about her residency? What has this country come to. I feel so sorry for the likes of you.

Actually, it's to give her the best advice possible. Lots of people aren't eligible for free treatment on the nhs and are never aware until hit with a huge bill!!! There's a lot of misinformation out there, and she mentioned this was her first time in the uk.

If she is here on eu rules, her use of the nhs depends on her (or her sponsor's) eu status - some require comprehensive insurance. If she's here as a non-eu national, she can avail nhs services for free if she has paid the ihs. If she's here as a visitor, her use of the nhs will be billed at 150% of the cost to the nhs. Any debt over £500 results in automatic refusal for future visa applications. So actually, it's important for her to know ffs.

I'm a fucking immigrant and I hate it when people make assumptions - about what they're entitled to, and about people's motives.

Oh and not all brits are entitled to unfettered use of the uk as well. You can't live in Spain and fly over here to visit the gp (without paying), for example.

@twistyturnycurlywhirly As I understand it it's only a couple of hospitals/trusts in England that offer the NIPT on a high risk (1:150) result. Mine definitely isn't one of them.

@catlady3 it’s hard to advise someone on what is available to them on the NHS without knowing that!

King's College Hospital offer the Harmony test to anyone with a risk from the combined tests of greater than 1:500 so I had it on the NHS twice. That's for the whole KCH trust so would also include the PRUH in Orpington just in case either of those are your local hospital.

* As I understand it it's only a couple of hospitals/trusts in England that offer the NIPT on a high risk (1:150) result. Mine definitely isn't one of them.*

Well my crappy hospital in Kent offers it. T'was the worst hospital in the country at one point. Probably still is actually.

I asked my midwife @twistyturnycurlywhirly just to be sure.