Best NIPT provider in central London

[NIPTQ]

Hello all,

I’d love to hear your recommendations/experiences of having the NIPT in Central London or if you have any suggestions based on friends’/family’s experiences.

I want to go somewhere where the results are most accurate obviously and ideally I don’t want to wait too long if possible so clinics where they are sent local would be my preference. I’m not so bothered about cost of it means accuracy and wait times are better.

Is it true that Harmony is most accurate? I have looked at the Fetal Medicine Centre; is their test Harmony? I know I can call to find this out easily but it’s still early days and I’m reluctant to book anything just yet just in case.

Thank you very much.

Hi @NIPTQ, I used The Birth Company at the Portland Hospital. I couldn't fault their service and received results within 3 days, though it does depend on the type of NIPT you have. Their website is comprehensive and clear in all the options they offer and rates of accuracy. I chose the TDL VeriSeq v2 by Illumina option (formerly known as the Harmony test), and was scanned by a senior sonographer who was very experienced. She told me this was the most popular option at that clinic.

Think of Harmony, Panorama, Safe, etc., as 'brand names' for NIPT. The labs will vary, but you should be able to compare exactly what the accuracy rates are for screening. Some of these tests are possible where certain variables exist that would otherwise affect results (e.g. vanishing twin, twins, high BMI) but if you don't have one of those pre-existing issues, there won't be much in it as far as accuracy is concerned, so look up where the lab is based and approx. turn-around time.

Some tests will also provide you with the option of testing for rare sex chromosome Aneuploids such as Turners, etc. Be wary of those because the accuracy is considerably lower, and you may end up in a situation where you feel an invasive diagnostic test is necessary based on fairly sketchy information. The NHS doesn't hold much with those tests, either, so you may find it difficult to gain a referral for an NHS CVS or Amnio on the basis of private sex anomaly results.

I hope this helps! Good luck with your pregnancy!

I went with concepto, it was the cheapest in London, and was just a blood test without scan which is what I wanted. Results came in within a couple days. Very straight forward.