The fight for 2 scans...GP says "do you WANT to damage your baby?"!!!!

[TheSlightestTeuch]

Long story short; women in this area generally have to go to another healthboard to deliver and have scans, etc.

Friend is 'booked in' to a health board which offers the recommended 2 scans, but the local GP is refusing to refer her...

She will only refer for 16wk scan. When questioned, the GP actually responded by telling her there is evidence that scanning can be dangerous and did she actually want to damage her unborn baby

I am just flabbergasted!!!

Thats bollocks! Your poor friend.

thats awful god I had loads of scans!

I think she should put a complaint in.

I do think it is grounds for a complaint, but this is a small place, and she is the only GP...

I've had 8 scans this pregnancy.. maybe 9? With one thing and another such as bleeds, water loss etc etc they had to keep checking. My baby looks fine on the scans and is wriggling around as I write this.

I don't for a second think scans cause harm.

Two scans are recommended by NICE guidlines. Could she quote those to the GP?

I had 6 scans with DD by the way, who is perfectly healthy and is using a dustpan and brush to clean the windows as I type.

I am aware that there is a school of thought around scans notbeing completely 'harmless' but, as far as I know, the benefits of 2 basic scans (plus additional in cases such as bleeding, positioning, low-lying placenta, etc) outweigh the potential and unproven risks!!!

I just can't believe she has the arrogance to disregard the official recommendations and scaremonger!!!

I am so furious. I am very early days but assuming everything goes ok with this pg, I will have the fight ahead of me

I had 14 scans and an x-ray with DD (ahhh french healthcare system, it is wonderful compared to NHS...), born perfectly healthy.

THanks for responses - I will make sure I am well-armed with info before I go, and friend is also going to question wit MW.

www.nice.org.uk/nicemedia/pdf/CG062NICEguideline.pdf

on page number 14 is the new line which recommends by NICE the early scan, in addition to the anomoly scan

these guidelines were published in march 2008.

hth x

I lost count of the no. of scans I had with DS1. In Australia I would have had one at 6wks, 12wks and 19wks and then I moved to Germany where I basically got one at every appointment. For DS2 (back in Oz) I got one at 6wks, 8wks, 12wks and 19wks. With DD1 - still WIP I had scans at 8wks, 12wks, 19wks, and 33 wks. I have read up on some allegations that scans can cause problems but only found that all studies conducted were not conclusive. Just sounds ridiculous to me!

Because of failed attempts to do amnio/CVS and concerns about placenta I've had a scan virtually every other week since 12 weeks. I've lost count of how many too. Am being seen by specialists at a leading teaching hospital and trust that they wouldn't be scanning me so frequently without good reason. GP talking rubbish.

there is information out there that scans MAY be harmful. (www.aims.org.uk) but I do think her GP was wrong to not refer her.

GP sounds bonkers. I had six scans (2 normals one, then 4 others for medical reasons).

in my area the GP does the original referral to midwifery services (though you can self refer) and they then deal with all of your care - no need for separate referral from GP - seems like a sensible system

I will be avoiding the GP at all costs - in fact, off to ring the MW now...

Thanks.

Herts - I am aware of that and did mention it above, but I still think that GP was out of order.

for fuck's sake, that's just made me really angry
sounds like the PCT is skint, and this GP is using scare tactics to save money
wrong on several levels
let us know what happens.

THe whole point is that the health board where she will gove birth does offer the two scans - but for some bloody-minded reason, the GP said she won't put her in the system!!

The scans that they are not 100% sure of the risks for are the 4D scans, the ones the NHS give are thought perfectly safe. Your GP should only refer you to the midwife, after that it is out of their hands and if your health board says 2 then 2 you should have. Stand your ground.

My SiL who lives in Dublin was given a scan every fortnight for her whole pregnancy because she had had a couple of m/cs previously. Her baby was fine. Of course nothing is zero risk but the benefits of scans far far outweigh any minscule risks.

My SiL who lives in Dublin was given a scan every fortnight for her whole pregnancy because she had had a couple of m/cs previously. Her baby was fine. Of course nothing is zero risk but the benefits of scans far far outweigh any minscule risks.

well I've had 5 scans so far and will be having another one on tuesday (as long as baby not arrived...) as I have gestational diabeties. 2 scans is the norm, I know that the 3D scans are possibly risky but the normal hospital ones are significantly less so. And our 20 weeks scan was most important as it showed we might have had a problem with babys heart (all ok but was reassuring to have scans to check that everything was ok)

what an arse.

I do agree that the gp was wrong not to refer her. BUT scans have only been around for 30 years or so and only been routine for about 15 years. No one really knows what will happen long term to people who have had scans. (myself and my children included)There is evidence that children who have been scanned more are more likely to be left handed. Not a huge issue in its self, but a major brain change must occur to cause this. I wasn't going to have scans with mine, but ended up having 3 with first, and two with second. I would never have a private scan that lasts for ages just for the sake of seeing the baby as I don't feel 100% comfortable with the idea of a baby being scanned for long periods. Should be the womans choice though, not the gp's. Wonder if it had something to do with the gp's funding?