High street pregnancy scan clinics could be endangering unborn babies and mothers due to lack of trained staff, according to experts from the Society for Radiographers (SoR). Hospital specialists have reported missed health problems, misdiagnosed conditions, and women erroneously told their babies had died or were malformed.
Katie Thompson, hospital sonographer and SoR president, described a case where a clinic measured a bleed in the womb but missed a very early pregnancy sac. She warned that if the clinic offered miscarriage services, the patient could have been given medication to induce a miscarriage of a viable pregnancy.
The SoR has also recorded cases of wrongly diagnosed ectopic pregnancies, missed ectopic pregnancies, misdiagnosed cervical problems, and failure to pick up fetal abnormalities such as spina bifida and polycystic kidneys. Elaine Brooks, a former hospital sonographer and SoR regional officer, noted that some women attended private scans a week or two before their NHS 20-week scan, only for large abnormalities to be detected by the NHS that should have been spotted earlier.
The SoR is calling for sonographer to be a protected title, meaning only qualified practitioners registered with a regulatory body could use it. Currently, anyone can buy an ultrasound machine and set up a practice without qualifications. Thompson cited an example of someone buying a machine and scanning in her front room after having a baby. The SoR also reported that a sonographer struck off for sexual misconduct was later employed in a private clinic.
Thompson advised patients to check clinic longevity, CQC registration and inspection history, and reviews, as well as ask midwives or GPs for recommendations. While some private clinics are excellent, the lack of regulation poses risks. The Department of Health and Social Care stated they are committed to ensuring appropriate regulation and will consider proposals from professional bodies.
