Myself, my partner and my Mum visited for an early reassurance scan when I was 9 weeks. The lady on reception was welcoming and pleasant, however that is where our good experience stopped. We went into the scan room and the sonographer asked me to take a seat on the bed. She did not introduce herself and took a rude and abrupt manner from the off. While I was sat on the bed, she was filling in someone else’s record and scan report on the machine which was broadcasted onto the big TV screen in front of us. She then began asking me questions, is this your first pregnancy, date of last period etc. The sonographer was still filling in someone else’s record at this point which is a complete breach of confidentiality. Their name and date of birth were just some of the things that could be seen. This did not put me at ease and gave the impression that my data would not be stored securely. The sonographer then went onto ask the same questions again as she clearly wasn’t listening the first time round. I would have much rather waited outside for an extra 5 minutes or so while the sonographer finished inputting the information on someone else’s record. She then started the scan and within a minute or so said my bladder was full and I needed to empty it by half. How am I supposed to be aware what half of my bladder volume is? I then went back on the bed and my bladder was apparently still too full so I was again sent to the toilet, feeling like it now was almost empty. The sonographer scanned me for a third time and told me I was wrong about my date of last period (I definitely wasn’t). I advised that I’d had an early reassurance scan just over two weeks prior to this one at a difference clinic and the baby measured 5 weeks and 4 days which was 9 days behind the gestational age. I then went onto explain we’d seen the heartbeat at the other scan. The sonographer became more abrupt and told us that it was “impossible” that we’d seen the heartbeat at 5w4d. She then demanded to see the scan report and was extremely rude and abrupt. She said then went onto reiterate that she’d never seen a heartbeat at 5w4d in her 10 years of being a sonographer, and that it was impossible we had seen it. We most certainly had seen the heartbeat, and it was also measured at 95bpm and the waves could be seen on the scan picture. The sonographer then went onto say that my baby had definitely grown from my last scan (she wouldn’t know this as she didn’t have the measurements at this point) and baby was measuring around 7 weeks, but throughout this time we never once saw a clear picture of the baby. The sonographer then said that the cord was in the way and it was wrapped around the baby which of course caused massive alarm bells. We were then sent on our way for a 10 minute walk to try and get things moving so we could get a better picture. Now being scanned for the fourth time, I was feeling extremely uncomfortable as the sonographer wasn’t reassuring in the slightest - she was rude, abrupt and causing a lot of anxiety for myself by saying the cord was wrapped around the baby. She still could not get a clear picture and then went onto ask me to come back 2 days later for another scan, and if she couldn’t get a clear picture she wanted me to go to the Early Pregnancy Unit at the hospital on the Monday. She then said “and bring that scan report with you.” I advised the sonographer that I had the report on my phone as it had been emailed. She asked to see it so I showed her the report on my phone. She then went onto say baby was measuring bigger than the size on the previous scan, which of course I questioned because not once had we seen the baby on the scan. I put my phone down on my chest as my partner was sat on a seat and I couldn’t reach to pass him my phone back whilst laid down. The sonographer then went onto talk about how the cord was definitely in the way of the picture and that I must go back 2 days later. She then caught sight of my phone on my chest and accused me of recording her! I had to show her my phone to prove I wasn’t recording at all and she did not apologise for making the accusation. It is needless to say that we did not return and I referred myself to the early pregnancy unit the following day. The manager of the unit was disgusted to hear of my experience: the breach of confidentiality, me not being scanned properly, the sonographer providing incorrect information and of course her abrupt and rude manner towards us… not to mention being accused of recording her! Luckily, the early pregnancy unit got me in for a scan on the Sunday morning. I became familiar with the Wakefield clinic’s CQC report from last year shortly after our visit and was disgusted with the findings from the CQC. It looks like nothing has changed. A formal complaint has been raised via email, however judging from others’ experiences it doesn’t look like I will get far.
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Baby ultrasound clinic is an independent private company that was established over 10 years ago. This is medical led business with you and your baby as number one priority. Baby Ultrasound clinic currently operates rom Bolton, Huddersfield, Chester, Blackpool, Wakefield, Sheffield, Preston, Stockport and Bangor in North Wales.
