We went for a 20 week scan yesterday and all is well
When we went for our first son at 13 weeks pictures from the scan were free, the next time we went at 20 weeks they were a £1 each
Now the pictures are £3 each and you have to buy them at a touch terminal before you go in.
I never really minded buying them as I don't see why the NHS should buy me pictures they are already doing enough checking my unborn child's heath.
When we had the scan yesterday it was done by a guy who was really nice and plain talking , he was also a locum so didn't mind tell us what he thought of the payment scheme for pictures.
He told us that all the equipment and cost of the paper to print the pictures comes from the NHS, then they have contracted out the touch screen device and money collecting to an external company.
The NHS see less than 30% of the money collected, he has a mate who works in accounts at the hospital so said this was a accurate figure.
On top of this most of the staff think that the concept of charging people is out of order so just give pictures for free or give out more that people pay for.
We got there yesterday at the last minute as the car park was busy so didn't buy any, he still gave us 3 as we left!
The NHS don't appear to be able to collect easy money, sure if they had some sort of card machine on the desk where you sign in they could get a lot more income from the pictures!
It was also a similar story when my son was born, I booked a private room after he was born for my wife to rest at a cost of £100. When we let nobody had a clue that we had been in there, so I asked to pay and where the card machine was. They looked at me like I was mad.
4 months later I got a bill, I had to dig my cheque book out and post them the payment.