NHS v Private Scans

[TheLiesThatBreakMe]

Hi all,

I'm just wondering if anyone notices a difference to the scans and if you have found 1 more accurate than the other?

The reason I ask is because I had a private scan at 6w 6d and discovered I was having twins, the quality of the scan and pictures were brilliant, very clear and saw heartbeat etc. Today I had an nhs one and they said it looked like a second baby didn't even exist😯 the quality of the scan was awful it was horribly blurry and was only given 1 picture as that was the best they could get.

The sad part i saw there was 2 babies at the private scan with both heartbeats. I know anything can happen but to say one didn't even exist to form visibility has to be wrong because I saw it, I have pictures and it's documented in a report.

I've now had to book on a private scan to confirm if the second baby has at some point sadly passed away 😔

Anyone else had any issues in comparison?

My experience is the other way around. Nhs scans were much much clearer than private. I think it depends on their equipment. They will have checked for a twin especially if you had seen one previously so unfortunately it’s likely not good news.

Vanishing twin syndrome is likely especially if your were only 6 weeks.probably better to have never known.
NHS are generally better.

NHS is absolutely fine. The only other scan I would consider would be at:

https://fetalmedicine.com/

It does sound like one of your twins has passed away and been reabsorbed, I'm so sorry. I've only ever had one private scan and that was later on, at 28 weeks. I think the image was about the same but with the private scan it was a lot less rushed and we got a lot more pictures.

I’ve found that private scan clinics have better, more updated machinery/ technology but the ones I’ve been to don’t have a qualified sonographer, they are only students. I found the nhs scans were clearer if I drank more water (for the earlier scans)
Sorry to hear about the second twin, hopefully just an and scan day!

My experience is the complete opposite, I went for a private scan first and they missed I was having twins whereas nhs at 8 weeks picked it up. Unfortunately baby b didn't make it, sounds like this may have happened with you as well, if thats the case om very sorry.

when this happens your body actually reabsorbs the second baby a lot of the time and it literally vanishes from scans, hence the term 'vanishing twin syndrome' which may explain why nhs can't see anything.

My baby b is still showing on my scan but its heart only stopped 2 weeks ago and I was 8 weeks then, it could have reabsorbed quick in other cases though from what I've read

I see your private scan was 6w+6, at what stage was your nhs scan, were both same kind of scan as in transvaginal or abdominal ?

Also to say in general, nhs are more thorough than private scans who put tike limits on your appointment and only check for certain things, nhs check your overall womb and ovaries too in many cases, private are exactly that, private and money making, they can't tell you a lot of things, they're nice to get a pic and I used them for early reassurance but I only really got proper reassurance from nhs. I've had 5 scans this pregnancy, 2 private and 3 nhs and even though 2nd nhs scan I had a doctor training someone and didn't really talk to me it was still way more thorough than private.

It really depends on what you mean by “private scan”. A “souvenir” scan, eg Window to Womb etc, are not diagnostic in the way that an NHS or obstetrician lead scan is. I’ve had private scans and they were as thorough, if not more so, than an NHS one (I was talked through every single bit) but set me back £350 for the cost of the scan and the obstetrician fee). I also had a souvenir scan and it was a waste of money.

Sorry to hear about the second twin.

The private scan was with ultrasound direct and through an internal. NHS one today was at a pregnancy advice clinic, they didn't actually check my ovaries or anywhere other than visible baby (which was a struggle) and my bladder which they said was too full. They also only did a generic scan. So I'm cautious that it wasn't a full investigative scan that I'm unsure what to actually believe or feel right now 😔.

I didn't actually offer up the information that I knew it was a twin pregnancy and that I'd seen it on a previous scan until she said it looked like it had never developed. I asked if they could have a more thorough check of the "empty" sac to confirm but they said they didn't have time and if it wasn't there at first glance then it was never viable.

I have booked another private scan on Sunday just to check if the NHS one is accurate. Atleast they may offer another internal and be able to clarify more.

I'm just so confused right now.

I'm so sorry for your confusion OP 💙
In my second pregnancy I paid for a LOT of private scans as I lost my first baby at 33 weeks and was incredibly anxious.
I also had quite a lot of NHS scans in that pregnancy too, and I generally found that the quality of the picture on screen was better at the private scan, but we kept at the same place and they had a huge screen compared to the NHS so that may be why.
I hope you get the reassurance you need soon 💙

I had an early NHS scan at 7 weeks due to having certain symptoms and they picked up twins, I saw the two heartbeats. At 9 weeks, another NHS scan, they were so matter of fact about telling us there was only one baby and the second one probably was never there. But I know I saw two heartbeats, two doctors confirmed twins at the time.
I’m so sorry for your bad news, apparently it is fairly common and a lot of people don’t ever find out about it if they don’t have scans until 12 weeks. I think both NHS and private equipment can vary.

Be a little wary of none NHS scans. It's not a regulated industry. There was a new story last month on the latest issues with private practices which I read which made for grim reading. Unfortunately I can't find the link to that particular story, but it is part of a longer known pattern dating back a few years which this article shows:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-54527595

I believe the advice is not to trust the reliability of private scans. They are too often being done by people without proper training and they should never be used as a substitute for an NHS one to check for problems. Poor hygiene is also an occurrence which is far too common.

So my question would be whether the first scan was done properly by someone with appropriate training.

Then to say if you have concerns talk to your midwife / NHS carer provider.

Nhs staff are normally trained to a higher level op

I'v found private scans clearer than NHS but it obviously depends where you go. The one I used to use was actually owned by my consultant from my 1st pregnancy and the sonographers were also from the hospital.

Sorry you're going through this. Did you get a print out report from the private place?

I had a vanishing twin at 7 weeks. The sack was there but no heartbeat.

Sorry to comment again, I agree to check the qualifications of private scans, however if they are trained to the same level as NHS staff they are most definitely trustworthy.
The private scan I had in my first pregnancy at 27 weeks actually detected excess fluid on my son's brain that was not found on an NHS scan. When I called my midwife to explain the scan she actually tried to dismiss it because it wasn't found on an NHS scan. I persisted and she managed to book me in for an NHS scan 2 days later where they then focused on his brain and saw the fluid. I was fast tracked to fetal medicine and 2 weeks later, after an MRI, we were told my son had severe brain damage caused by a stroke and sadly we lost him at 32 weeks from TFMR.
So while I agree to do your research on private scans, in my experience I have found them to be extremely reliable

they said they didn't have time this is the thing that stands out OP. I have multiple “risk” factors for twins including twins in our family and we asked them to double check there was only one, they did. I do think it’s luck of the draw how efficient the sonographer is on any given day. And by efficient I mean how quickly they conduct the scan. My SIL asked for photos at a follow up scan and was told they didn’t have time, I had a scan the same day in the same hospital (also a follow up) and I was given an extra photo I wasn’t expecting and didn’t ask for. I’m sorry you experienced this.