Ultrasound Scan
What is an ultrasound scan?
This is a test that involves taking pictures of the soft tissue of your body using high-pitch sound waves.
The test is performed by a Radiologist or Sonographer, who are highly trained in this area.
Ultrasound is considered very safe and does not use x-radiation.
Before your appointment
If you are unable to keep your appointment it is important that you let us know as soon as possible.
You are advised to leave your jewellery at home for safe keeping; items may have to be removed prior to your scan.
Wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothing on the day of your scan. You may be asked to change into a gown.
Please allow plenty of time for travel, parking and finding the department. It is important that you arrive on time. If you are late for your appointment, we may not be able to accommodate the scan, and you may have to rebook.
Accompanying persons into the scan room
We do not to allow children into scan room. There are no childcare facilities provided in ultrasound waiting areas and children should not be left unaccompanied. If you do attend with children, you will be offered another scan appointment.
We also do not allow accompanying adults into the scan room, unless there are special circumstances. Please advise us if you have any additional needs prior to your appointment.
Giving consent
We believe in involving you in decisions about your care and treatment. Before your scan begins, the Sonographer or Radiologist will ask for your verbal consent, this means confirming that you're happy for the scan to proceed.
If you're unsure or decide not to go ahead with the scan, please let the Sonographer or Radiologist know. It's entirely your choice, and you can change your mind at any time.
Students or trainees may be present during your test as part of their supervised learning. If you prefer, they not be present, simply inform a member of the healthcare team before the scan begins.
What happens during the scan?
A chaperone will be present to support your wellbeing and assist the sonographer or radiologist during the scan.
You may be asked to change into a gown, depending on which part of your body is to be examined.
We will perform the scan in our ultrasound room. The room may be dimly lit so that we can see the images produced on the screen more clearly. We may ask you to lie or sit down on a couch or sit in a chair. We will then put ultrasound gel on your skin over the area to be scanned. This will help us to produce better quality images. We will move an ultrasound all probe slowly over your skin. Occasionally, we may need to press quite firmly in the area where you may be having pain. Please let us know if you feel uncomfortable at any point during the scan.
The test usually takes approximately 15 minutes to complete.
What happens after the scan?
We will review your images after the scan. Most reports will be ready 24 hours after your scan. However, for less urgent scans, the report will be with the referrer (Consultant, doctor or Advanced Health Practitioner who sent you for the scan) within 7 days. They will inform you of the results.
Contact us
If you have any questions or concerns about your Ultrasound scan, please contact the department on 0121 812 3461 (Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 4:30pm).