No. You can book any scan with us directly, without a GP referral and without seeing a consultant first. We are a CQC-registered clinic and our sonographers and radiologists accept self-referrals. There are a few situations where seeing a doctor first is the better route, and one where a referral is usually required — both are set out below.
Contents
| Situation | Referral needed? |
|---|---|
| Paying for your own scan | No. Book directly. |
| Your GP suggested a scan but the NHS wait is long | No, though bring any paperwork you have. |
| A physiotherapist, osteopath or consultant has recommended a scan | No. Bring their letter if you have one. |
| Claiming on private medical insurance | Usually yes — most insurers require one. Check before booking. |
| You have red-flag symptoms | See a GP or A&E first. A scan is not the right first step. |
Diagnostic ultrasound performed privately does not require a doctor’s referral in the UK. It uses no ionising radiation, and the scan is performed and reported by an HCPC-registered consultant sonographer or a consultant radiologist who is qualified to decide whether the examination is appropriate and to interpret it.
In practice, that means the clinical judgement still happens — it happens at the appointment rather than beforehand. If the scan you have booked is not the right test for your symptoms, we will tell you, and we would rather have that conversation than take a booking that cannot help you.
We are registered with the Care Quality Commission and operate at 29 Weymouth Street, Marylebone, within the Harley Street Medical Area.
Self-referral suits most people, but not everyone. A scan is a picture, not an assessment — it cannot examine you, take a history, or prescribe.
See a GP urgently, or go to A&E, rather than booking a scan if you have: severe or sudden abdominal, chest or testicular pain; a hot, swollen, painful joint with fever; heavy bleeding; unexplained weight loss, night sweats or a persistent fever; a new breast lump with skin or nipple changes; sudden calf swelling with breathlessness; or any symptom that is rapidly getting worse. These need examination and often blood tests, not an outpatient scan.
It is also worth starting with a GP if you want a diagnosis rather than an image — ultrasound answers structural questions, and many symptoms need blood tests or examination alongside it to make sense.
This is the main exception. Most private medical insurers require a GP or consultant referral before they will authorise and pay for a diagnostic scan, and will usually issue an authorisation number.
We work with AXA Health, AXA Global, Healix Health and WPA. Contact your insurer before booking to confirm what they need — if you book and pay yourself first, reimbursement is not guaranteed. Full details are on our insurance and payment page.
You receive instant verbal results at the appointment from the consultant performing your scan, and a written report within 24 hours.
That report is a clinical document your GP can act on. We can send it to them directly with your consent, or you can forward it yourself. Most GPs welcome a private imaging report — it can shorten a referral pathway and saves an NHS diagnostic appointment.
If a scan finds something that needs following up, the report says so explicitly, and states whether that means raising it at your next routine appointment or contacting your GP the same day. Our guide to understanding your ultrasound report explains the terminology.
| Self-referral, privately | NHS via your GP | |
|---|---|---|
| Referral required | No | Yes |
| Typical wait | Days | Varies by trust and urgency |
| Cost | From £235 | Free at the point of use |
| Results | Verbal on the day, written within 24 hours | Usually via your GP after reporting |
| Onward treatment | Reported back to your GP or specialist | Managed within the NHS pathway |
The two are not in competition. A private scan is often used to get an answer quickly and then take it back into NHS care. Our guide to NHS ultrasound waiting times covers the current picture.
Yes. You can book any scan with us directly. No referral is needed if you are paying for the scan yourself.
Yes. Breast ultrasound can be booked directly, from £235 for one side and £350 for both. If you have found a lump with skin changes, nipple changes or a lump in the armpit, see your GP urgently as well — those warrant referral on an urgent pathway.
Not if you are paying yourself. If your cardiologist has requested surveillance imaging, bring the request so we can report against the specific questions asked.
Usually not. Most insurers require a GP or consultant referral and issue an authorisation number first. Contact your insurer before booking.
Yes, with your consent. Ask at the appointment or afterwards and we will send it securely.
We will tell you, and explain what is. Ultrasound cannot assess bone, the inside of a joint, or the coronary arteries, and some symptoms need blood tests or examination alongside imaging.
Yes, and it helps. A letter from a GP, physiotherapist or consultant tells us the clinical question so the report can answer it directly.
See also: ultrasound scan prices, insurance and payment, and the Weymouth Street clinic.
CQC-registered clinic · HCPC-registered sonographers · BMUS member · ICO-registered. Reports can be shared securely with your NHS GP or specialist at your request.
