PARENTS-to-be have been left fuming after an NHS trust revealed it is making them pay for ultrasound photos.
Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust confirmed from September 1, patients will have to cough up for the scan pictures.
It will cost £5 for one photo, £7 for two and £10 for three scan photos, Kent Online reports.
There are no refunds available if parents are unhappy with the snap.
The MTW Maternity page said: “Photos will be available at routine first trimester and anomaly screening appointments.
“You need to buy the ticket for your baby photo before your scan appointment time, please allow time to do this.
“The machine is in the waiting area – you won’t be able to purchase photos in the scan room.
“We regret we cannot offer refunds if you are unhappy with the image. The maximum is three photos per scan appointment.”
The trust confirmed it is not offering shots later in pregnancy as babies “grow too large to be photographed well”.
They also warned patients may end up with similar pictures despite the sonographer doing “their best” to get a good photo.
The decision has sparked outrage among soon-to-be parents after the trust posted on social media.
One said: “How pathetic to charge people to have a scan photo of their own baby.”
While another wrote: “The problem with this is when I was pregnant with my son I didn’t get one decent photo where you could see him properly or clearly.
“If I had paid for them I’d be livid not being able to get a refund if the photos aren’t good.”
A Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust spokesman said: “All baby scans for pregnant people are provided free of charge at Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust (MTW) as part of their maternity care, and always have been.
“Like many other NHS trusts, from September we will charge a small fee for those who want a printed copy of their baby scans.”
Source: The Sun
