Terms & Conditions
Quality of Care
You deserve a safe, effective, compassionate and high-quality service which is continually improving and responds to your needs.
Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in England are regulators of health and social care service provision - regulation to ensure a safe, effective, compassionate and high-quality service is being provided. A service that you should have confidence in and is continually improving and responsive to service users’ needs.
Government Regulation in Scotland is dependent on professional registrants providing the service delivered and is currently not required by this clinic – however, with you in mind, governance of this service is performed to meet the standards and core values of the regulators.
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Is the service safe? - You must be over 18 years of age to access our services. You deserve a comfortable, warm, safe environment, with staff you can trust and have your welfare at heart. Your Sonographer is a qualified practitioner and registered with HCPC - all staff have undergone full disclosure and are current members of the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) scheme. Staff maintain continuous professional development to ensure the service provided is of high quality.
A duty of care will be taken to ensure you feel safe during your time in the scan room, however, Imagine Baby cannot be responsible for any loss/damage to any belongings you or your party bring into the scan room that is out with our control.
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Is the service effective? - The Sonographer has many years experience and will ensure your scan is performed safely and to the best of their ability with the ultrasound equipment available to them. Imagine Baby does not have access to your medical notes – you will be given a report following your scan attendance – please share this report with your midwife/healthcare team to ensure appropriate onward care. If any concerns are raised from scan findings, this will be discussed with you. The Sonographer may seek your consent to contact your health provider to discuss scan findings. Any limitations of the scan will also be recognised, and any suggested follow-on care and information sharing will be discussed.
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Is the service responsive to client needs? - The service is in its infancy but will be proactive in listening to individual experiences and will respond positively to suggestions and deliver a person-centred service.
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If you wish to complain about the service, please speak directly to the Sonographer or email the team at info@imaginebaby.co.uk. Imagine Baby aims to be open and transparent about our service standards – the service will aim to resolve and learn from any complaints to optimise service delivery in order to meet your needs. Imagine Baby may have to remove imaging services or delay your appointment due to circumstances such as equipment failure or staffing issues - contact will be made with you as soon as possible to discuss any future options or appointments. You may also wish to cancel the service booked - Imagine Baby understands this and there will be no charge for cancellation.
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Is the service caring? – Your team has many years combined NHS experience and are skilled in dealing with situations that require empathy, compassion, understanding and time. Staff will always treat others with dignity and respect, be supportive and always respect your privacy.
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Is the service well led? – It is hoped that information available to you prior to you booking your scan informs you of your choices and allows you to consent to your examination - governance of the quality and safety of our service to you is crucial as staff follow policies and procedures, constantly evaluate and risk assess the service including equipment and surroundings and promote honest and open communication at all times.
Ultrasound Safety
The current general consensus is that diagnostic ultrasound is safe in pregnancy, both for mother and the developing baby, with no substantiated long-term effects demonstrated from studies. Please be aware that ongoing research discusses the absence of evidence of harm, however, does stress the prudent use of ultrasound imaging in pregnancy to limit the potential of harm. The service aims to reassure you in your pregnancy where visualisation and assessment of your baby can help expectant parents with the pregnancy journey, and an additional service to your routine NHS care. Imagine Baby will be respectful to your service needs, however, will offer guidance regarding use of the service if there is continued exposure to ultrasound in your pregnancy journey.
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2D and 3D (three-dimensional ultrasound) imaging techniques are not currently considered high enough acoustic outputs to produce harmful effects – however, caution should be taken with use of doppler ultrasound, where acoustic outputs are higher. Routine examination with doppler ultrasound is not recommended in the first trimester and Imagine Baby does not provide doppler assessment of the heart at your early scan, with only limited assessment at later gestations.
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The British Medical Ultrasound Society (BMUS) defines a key principle for the safe use of ultrasound - output levels should be kept as low as is reasonably achievable whilst achieving a diagnostic result – ALARA principle. Your Sonographer is a trained operator who will use skill set to limit prolonged scan duration and ensure use of safe equipment settings to minimise acoustic power output. Please see guidance on GOV.UK website - Home > Ultrasound: what it is, how it works and impact of exposure.
Our Guidance
Imagine Baby scans must be in addition to your NHS antenatal care scans and must not be considered as an option if you are having pain, bleeding or have concerns with you or your baby’s wellbeing - please always contact your NHS provider with any concerns. We are there to comfort your pregnancy with additional imaging, however, your NHS care is the most important care pathway for you and your baby.
Imagine Baby does not provide detailed diagnostic or screening assessment of your baby. You must always have an Obstetric and Midwifery team looking after your pregnancy journey – your NHS will provide all your pregnancy scans to monitor your pregnancy. It is important to note that ultrasound assessment has limitations and not all anomalies or concerns with your pregnancy are detectable from scan. These limitations extend to predicting baby’s sex, 100% accuracy cannot be assured.
Imagine Baby offers ultrasound scans, in addition to your NHS diagnostic and screening scans with a peek at baby at times when you need a little reassurance in your pregnancy and allows for some relaxing bonding at a time that suits you, in your pregnancy journey. Although ultrasound assessment of your pregnancy is limited at today’s scan, as per description on the Imagine Baby website - if any potential concerns are identified today, this will be discussed with you and a report of the scan will be given for you to discuss with your midwife/antenatal team. The Sonographer may also ask to discuss findings directly with your healthcare provider.