05/10/2026
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Once again, my meeting with Maree Todd about the regulation of private baby scan clinics has been cancelled and rescheduled three times now. I am disappointed because this issue concerns the safety of pregnant women and their babies, and deserves urgent attention.
https://www.sor.org/news/scotland/news-website-reveals-lack-of-oversight-and-inspect
These concerns have been reported for years. In November 2022, an investigation by The Ferret found that only five of at least 45 private clinics offering pregnancy scans in Scotland were registered with Healthcare Improvement Scotland. It reported that one woman had been told she had lost her pregnancy, only for an NHS scan to confirm that it was progressing normally. Monica Lennon MSP called for the regulatory loophole to be closed in the interests of safety and healthcare standards.
Earlier, a BBC investigation in 2020 uncovered serious failings in private baby scanning, including missed ectopic pregnancies and cases of spina bifida. It also raised concerns about scans being sold as “reassurance” when they did not provide the medical checks parents might reasonably expect.
The concerns have continued. In November 2025, warnings from the Society of Radiographers were covered by newspapers including The Guardian and The Telegraph. The Society highlighted misdiagnoses and called for “sonographer” to become a protected professional title, requiring appropriate qualifications and registration. In January 2026, STV News reported further warnings about missed or misdiagnosed complications and the trauma caused when families are wrongly told their baby has no heartbeat.
There is an important distinction: in England, private baby scan services including souvenir scans must register with the Care Quality Commission. The Scottish investigation exposed a gap in clinic regulation, while professional regulation of sonographers is a separate concern.
Buying an ultrasound machine and opening premises should never be enough to establish a service that families trust with information about their pregnancy. Parents deserve properly qualified staff, safe equipment, regular inspections, honest advertising, clear procedures for urgent NHS referral, and an effective complaints process.
False reassurance can delay further assessment, while an incorrect diagnosis can cause devastating distress. Private scans must also be clearly explained as an addition to—not a replacement for routine NHS screening.
I am asking the Scottish Government for a clear timetable to close the gaps in regulation and ensure that every private pregnancy scanning service is accountable. Families deserve safe care, clear answers and action.
Proper training and accountability must be at the heart of regulation. Anyone carrying out pregnancy scans should have recognised ultrasound qualifications, supervised clinical training and ongoing checks of their competence. Training must include recognising concerning findings, understanding the limits of a scan, knowing when urgent specialist assessment is needed, and communicating sensitively with families especially those who have experienced baby loss.
Accountability must apply to both the person performing the scan and the business providing it. Every clinic should have a named person responsible for clinical standards, keep accurate records, verify staff qualifications and have clear referral arrangements with NHS maternity services. Families should know who scanned them, what that person’s qualifications are, and how to raise a concern.
There must also be an independent complaints process, with powers to investigate, require improvements and stop unsafe services from operating. Families should not be left going from one organisation to another, unable to find anyone who can take responsibility.
I am asking for mandatory standards for training, registration, inspection and accountability across private pregnancy scanning services. When something goes wrong, there must be a clear route to answers, action and support.
Pregnant women are being urged to check their sonographer’s qualifications amid warnings that untrained practitioners are putting them and their unborn babies at risk.
