Highland health chiefs were under fire last night after it emerged that they spoke to just three other hospitals when conducting a “thorough review” into baby scan charges.
The local NHS service vowed to reconsider the policy last summer after the Press and Journal revealed that no other health board levied a flat fee to expectant mothers for copies of scanned thermal images.
But NHS Highland announced in December that it would be keeping the £5 charge because its “thorough review” had revealed that “all the boards contacted” expected a donation for scanned thermal images, which was also usually £5.
The study has now been called into question, however, after the board admitted its senior midwife sonographer only contacted obstetric scanning services in Aberdeen, Fife, Glasgow and Edinburgh – and Glasgow did not even respond.
Inquiries have also found that the average actual donation in Lothian was not £5 but only 16p, while in Fife it was 15p, and in Grampian it was just 8p.
Highland MSP Kate Forbes, who first raised the issue after being contacted by a concerned constituent, said: “I still think that mothers in the Highlands should be treated the same way as mothers across Scotland.
“I don’t think that speaking to three of Scotland’s other 273 hospitals constitutes a national review. It’s not particularly difficult to write to the other 13 health boards to establish their position.
“Previous inquiries to three other health boards clearly show average donations were nowhere near the £5 mark, but actually were less than 14p – that’s quite a difference.”
The SNP MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch added: “I believe very strongly that those who live in the Highlands should not be penalised by higher costs for living and working.
“We already face longer journeys, higher fuel costs and surcharges on various services. That is why I raised my concerns about the additional costs faced by expectant mothers for copies of their antenatal scans in the Highlands over the summer.
“This is not about the principle of whether NHS should charge for such scans, as people will no doubt have different views on that. If it was standard practice for every health board to charge then I would not be making such a fuss.
“Instead this is about why it is only mothers in the Highlands who face a mandatory charge for scans.”
Of the 13 other health boards in Scotland, freedom of information requests previously revealed that Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles wre among eight to provide at least one copy free of charge.
NHS Grampian was one of five which did not charge but told expectant mothers that donations were welcome.
An NHS Highland spokesman said: “NHS Highland conducted a review last year and contacted four health boards across Scotland: NHS Grampian, NHS Fife, NHS Lothian and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.
“The outcome of the review was that the open approach in NHS Highland and the charge for the photos was deemed acceptable.
“Patients have the information regarding scan image purchase on their appointment letter which allows them to make an informed choice on whether they wish to purchase a photograph and the cost.
“The review also heard that all boards contacted expected a donation for these scanned thermal images, usually £5.”
