PARENTS-to-be have been left furious after an NHS trust revealed it was making them pay for ultrasound photos.
Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust has confirmed that from September 1, patients will have to cough up to receive scans.
It will cost £5 for one photo, £7 for two and £10 for three scanned photos, Kent online reports.
Refunds are not provided if parents are not satisfied with the photo.
The MTW Maternity page said: “Photographs will be available during the routine first trimester and anomaly scan.
“You need to buy a ticket for your child’s photo before the scan, please allow time to do this.
“The machine is in the waiting area – you will not be able to purchase photos in the scanning room.
“We regret that we cannot offer a refund if you are not satisfied with the image. There is a maximum of three photos per scan.”
The trust has confirmed that it does not offer imaging at later stages of pregnancy as babies “grow too big to be photographed well”.
They also warned that patients can get similar images despite the sonographer doing “everything possible” to get a good picture.
The decision sparked outrage among expectant parents after the trust posted on social media.
One said: “How pathetic to take a scanned photo of your own child from people.”
While another wrote: “The problem is that when I was pregnant with my son, I didn’t have a single decent photo that showed him properly and clearly.
“If I paid for them, I’d be mad, I wouldn’t be able to get my money back if the photos aren’t bad.”
A spokesman for Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust said: “All prenatal baby scans 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 be charging a small fee to those who want a hard copy of their baby’s scan.”
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