Patient Information · Practical Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
The questions we are actually asked before a visit, answered straight — including the ones where the honest answer is no. Anything not covered here: email info@iuslondon.co.uk and a person replies, usually within 10 to 15 minutes during opening hours.
CQC-registered clinic · Provider ID 1-2775844974 · HCPC-registered sonographers
Before You Book
Booking and practicalities
Do I need a GP referral?
No. You can self-refer for our scans. The one exception is transplant kidney evaluation, which requires a referral from your transplant team.
How much does a scan cost?
From £119 for an early pregnancy scan, and £159 for most diagnostic scans. The complete list, generated live from our booking system, is on the prices page.
How do I pay?
A £39 deposit is taken online when you book, by card or PayPal (you do not need a PayPal account). The balance is settled at your appointment by card or cash. If you need an itemised receipt for insurance reimbursement, just ask.
The deposit payment failed or PayPal is not working. What do I do?
Please do not keep retrying — repeated attempts sometimes go through more than once. Email info@iuslondon.co.uk with your name, the scan you want and your preferred date and time, and we will confirm your scan by email. If you think you have been charged twice, email us and the duplicate payment is refunded.
Can I use private health insurance?
It depends on your policy. We do not bill insurers directly: you pay us and claim back using the itemised receipt we provide. Most UK insurers require a specialist referral, and because we do not require one, our scans are often classified as self-pay health screening — which many policies exclude. Check with your insurer, with the scan details, before booking.
Do you scan children?
No. We scan adults only (18 and over). If your child needs a scan, their GP can refer them to an NHS children’s radiology service, or a private children’s hospital can see them. If a child is very unwell or in a lot of pain, call NHS 111, or go to A&E in an emergency. Children can usually come along when an adult is having a scan with us.
How quickly can I be seen?
Usually within the week and often within a day or two. For cycle-timed fertility scans we book to your cycle days, including at short notice.
Are you open on Sundays, and can I be seen today?
We are open Monday to Friday 9am to 8pm and Saturday 10am to 1pm. Sunday appointments are by availability: the online booking diary shows any Sunday slots. The diary is live, so it also shows same-day availability. For an urgent same-day request, email info@iuslondon.co.uk — it is the fastest way to reach the team.
What is the quickest way to reach a person?
Email info@iuslondon.co.uk. Most emails are answered within 10 to 15 minutes during opening hours. You can also use the contact form, or call 0203 051 6506 if you prefer to speak.
Where are you, and is there parking?
5a Lucerne Mews, Kensington W8 4ED — three minutes’ walk from Notting Hill Gate. Buses, tube and parking options are covered in travelling to us.
I am running late or need to rearrange — what do I do?
Use the link in your confirmation email, or email info@iuslondon.co.uk as soon as you know. We would far rather reschedule you than rush you. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before your appointment; inside 24 hours a 50 per cent charge applies, and a missed appointment is charged in full.
At Your Appointment
During your visit
Can my partner or a friend come in with me?
Yes — welcome at every appointment, in the room, at your invitation.
Can I request a chaperone?
Yes. We provide a female chaperone who is present during your scan. If you have any preference about who is in the room, tell us when booking and we will arrange it.
Can I request a female sonographer?
We will be straight with you: we do not currently have a female sonographer available — our sonographers are male. We do provide a female chaperone who is present during your scan, a companion of your choice is welcome in the room, and you remain in control of the examination throughout. We would rather be honest than have you arrive to a surprise.
Can I bring my children?
Usually yes. If childcare falls through, let us know by email before you set off and we will plan for it.
How long does a scan take?
Most appointments are 30 minutes including the discussion of findings; well-man and well-woman packages take around an hour. The full walkthrough is in what to expect during your visit.
Is the scan painful?
No. The probe makes firm contact with the skin but there is no pain. If an area is tender you may feel light pressure — tell your sonographer and they will adjust the angle or pressure.
Results & Scope
Results, reports, and what we do not do
When do I get my results?
Findings are explained at the scan itself. Your written report follows, usually within two hours, by secure email — details in results and reports.
Will my GP automatically receive the report?
No. The report comes to you, and sharing it is your choice. When a finding needs acting on we recommend sharing it, and it is written for exactly that handover.
What happens if the scan finds something?
You will know before you leave the room — explained honestly, written into your report with a clear next step. The three pathways are set out in follow-up care.
Do you offer 3D or 4D bonding scans?
No. We are a diagnostic clinic, and 3D and 4D bonding scans carry no diagnostic value, so we do not offer them. Every scan we perform has to earn its place clinically. Our pregnancy scans assess viability, dating, growth and wellbeing.
Do you do the NHS 12-week or 20-week pregnancy scans?
No. Those screening scans are provided through your NHS maternity pathway and you should always attend them, so the results feed into your maternity record. Our pregnancy scans complement that pathway; they never replace it.
Do you offer semen analysis?
No. Semen analysis is a laboratory test rather than an imaging study, and we are a diagnostic ultrasound clinic. Your GP or a fertility clinic can arrange it. We do offer fertility ultrasound scans including follicle tracking and antral follicle count.
Can you tell me what my result means?
If we scanned you, the sonographer explains the findings during the scan and sets them out in your report. If a question comes up afterwards, email info@iuslondon.co.uk and the sonographer who scanned you will reply. If your scan or report came from another clinic or hospital, please take it back to the clinician who requested it: we cannot interpret a report we did not produce. If a repeat scan would help, we can do that.
Do you offer MRI, CT, X-ray, mammograms or blood tests?
No. We are an ultrasound clinic, so we do not offer MRI, CT, X-ray, mammography, DEXA, endoscopy, ECG or blood tests. Your GP can arrange these through the NHS or refer you privately. If a scan shows something that needs another kind of test, your report says so and names the specialty.
Do you offer a prostate scan?
We do not offer a transrectal prostate ultrasound. The Well Man scan looks at the bladder and the prostate as far as it can be assessed through the abdomen, which gives a view of its size and shape. A PSA blood test and a full prostate assessment are arranged through your GP.
Can you diagnose or treat what you find?
We diagnose within the scope of ultrasound — we find, explain, document and route findings. We do not prescribe, operate, or replace your GP. Where a finding needs treatment, your report names the specialty and the urgency so your GP can refer you.
More Detail
The rest of your visit
BeforePreparation for Your Scan
Which scans need fasting, which need a full bladder, and which need nothing at all.
How to prepare →
DuringWhat to ExpectArrival, the examination itself, chaperones, and how findings are discussed in the room.
What happens →
AfterResults & ReportsVerbal findings at the scan, written report usually within two hours, and how to share it.
How results reach you →
Question answered?
Book online in about two minutes — or email us the one this page did not cover.
From £119
Scan, interpretation and report
5a Lucerne Mews
Kensington, London W8 4ED
3 mins from Notting Hill Gate
Kensington, London W8 4ED
3 mins from Notting Hill Gate
Written and clinically reviewed by the HCPC-registered sonographers who perform these scans at IUS London — a CQC-registered diagnostic ultrasound clinic (Provider ID 1-2775844974). Your own findings are explained to you at the scan and set out in your report.
Author: Yianni Kiromitis, Senior Sonographer, HCPC RA38415
Medically reviewed: 31 July 2026