A referral for private ultrasound — no radiation, quick, and often the right first-line scan.
Referred by a GMC-registered GP, results reviewed by the same doctor
Taken at a partner site near you
Results explained in plain English, not just a number
Your NHS records in the room, with your consent
Care led personally by Dr Khan
Attentive, unhurried care that listens properly
Five-star Google reviews from the people we have looked after
Registered with the Care Quality Commission
Ultrasound is quick, involves no radiation, and is frequently the correct first investigation rather than a lesser alternative to MRI.
It is the standard test for gallstones, kidney and liver assessment, thyroid and testicular lumps, and gynaecological concerns.
Real-time images using sound waves. Abdominal, pelvic, thyroid, testicular, breast, soft tissue and vascular scans are all available.
It is quick, involves no radiation, needs no injection, and for several questions — gallstones, ovarian cysts, testicular lumps — it is genuinely the best test rather than a cheaper alternative to MRI.
It is also real-time, which means the sonographer can press on the area that hurts and watch what happens.
Consultation, referral issued to Vista Health, you book your appointment, and the radiologist's report is reviewed with you afterwards.
Abdominal scans usually require fasting for six hours. Pelvic scans usually require a full bladder — drink a litre of water an hour beforehand and do not empty it.
Preparation varies by scan type and the provider will confirm exactly what is needed.
The quality of the answer depends heavily on who holds the probe. Unlike MRI or CT, which produce the same images regardless, ultrasound is a live examination performed by a person.
That is why the clinical question on the referral matters so much — a sonographer told what to look for looks for it.
Each of these routinely causes alarm on a report and turns out to need nothing at all.
An abdominal scan needs a 6-hour fast, because a contracted gallbladder full of food hides stones. A pelvic scan needs a full bladder — usually a litre of water an hour beforehand — because it pushes the bowel out of the way.
Getting this wrong means the scan is repeated, which is the commonest avoidable waste on this page.
That the structures examined look normal on the day. Ultrasound cannot see everything — bowel gas and body habitus both limit it — so a normal result narrows the field without closing it.
A structure that was not examined cannot be reported on. Ultrasound reports describe what was looked at, and the scope is set by the referral.
A scan done to answer one question does not incidentally exclude everything else.
Whether something is cancerous. Ultrasound can raise or lower suspicion; only a biopsy establishes it.
And it cannot explain pain that has no structural cause — which describes a good deal of abdominal and pelvic pain, including IBS.
We do not perform scans — we refer. And acute severe abdominal pain needs assessment today, in person, not a scan appointment next week.
NHS ultrasound is free where indicated, and waits are frequently shorter than for MRI or CT because the equipment is more widely available.
Ask before assuming a long wait. Right to Choose also lets you select a different NHS provider at no cost.
All pregnancy scans are free on the NHS, and NHS scans are the ones integrated with your maternity care. Private "reassurance" and gender scans are not medical scans and do not replace them.
A long local wait for a non-urgent question — gallstones, a lump, a persistent symptom — where knowing sooner changes what happens next.
It depends entirely on the region, and getting it wrong means repeating the scan.
Abdominal scan: nothing to eat for 6 hours beforehand, because a gallbladder full of food contracts and hides stones.
Pelvic scan: a full bladder — usually about a litre of water an hour before, and do not empty it. Uncomfortable, but it is what makes the pelvis visible.
Most other scans need no preparation at all.
Yes — no radiation, and it is safe in pregnancy. That is why it is the first-line scan for so many questions.
No. Cold gel and firm pressure with the probe, which can be uncomfortable over a tender area but is not painful.
An internal probe giving much better views of the uterus and ovaries than a scan through the abdomen.
You can absolutely decline it, and you can ask for a chaperone — that is your right, and any unit will arrange it. An external scan will be done instead, with the caveat that the views are less detailed.
Not automatically. Gallstones are found in a large proportion of adults and most never cause a problem.
They are treated when they cause symptoms — pain after fatty meals, or complications. Stones found incidentally on a scan for something else are usually left alone.
Usually not at all. Simple cysts are part of a normal menstrual cycle and most resolve without any treatment.
Size, appearance and whether you are past menopause are what determine whether anything needs doing. Most need only a repeat scan, or nothing.
No — it can raise or lower suspicion, but only a biopsy establishes it.
Certain appearances are reassuring and others prompt further investigation, and that is what the report is describing.
Not usefully, and we would not arrange it.
Whole-body screening ultrasound in someone with no symptoms produces incidental findings at a high rate and very rarely finds anything important. Each finding then needs chasing.
No. NHS pregnancy scans are free, and they are the ones connected to your maternity care.
Private reassurance and gender scans are not medical scans and do not replace the NHS ones — which is worth being clear about before paying for either.
Clinically reviewed by Dr Mohammad Zubair Khan, GMC 7563469
Last reviewed
August 23, 2026
On this page
Ongoing
Time to be seen
Appointment length
Your NHS record in the room
Written treatment plan
Told when a test isn’t needed
Cost
Same day, usually
20 minutes
Yes, with your consent
Included
Yes, and told why
£40 for 20 minutes
Varies by practice
Typically 10 minutes
Yes, your full record
Not routinely
Usually
Free
Same day
Often 10 to 15 minutes
Usually not
Sometimes charged
Varies by provider
Often a subscription
Same-day access is usually available, from 6am to 10pm, seven days a week. You choose a time that suits you rather than waiting on hold at 8am.
Yes. Care is led personally by Dr Mohammad Khan, so you are not passed between clinicians. Continuity is the point of a small practice: someone who knows your history and is listening attentively rather than working through a checklist.
Yes, with your consent. We can access your Summary Care Record during the consultation, so your current medications, allergies and significant history are in the room. That means fewer questions you have already answered elsewhere, and safer prescribing.
No. We are not here to replace GPs, only to support them. Your NHS practice remains responsible for your ongoing care, and with your consent we write to them after the consultation. We are useful when you need to be seen sooner, or want more time than a standard appointment allows.
Twenty unhurried minutes and a comprehensive assessment. A written treatment plan is included, along with any prescription, sick note or referral letter arising from the consultation, at no extra charge.
£40 for 20 minutes, self-pay. Membership is optional and never required. Priced for fairness, because we are not here to charge extortionate amounts for access to a doctor.
It means the diagnosis can usually be made from your history and photographs, and that treatment can be arranged safely without examining you. Where a condition is not marked treatable online, it is because examination is the diagnosis — listening to a chest, feeling an abdomen, examining an ear or a joint — or because a procedure or device is needed.
Yes, where there is a genuine bacterial infection — cellulitis, impetigo, bacterial urine infections, confirmed strep throat. We will also frequently tell you that you do not need one. Most sore throats, coughs, colds and earaches are viral, and an antibiotic gives you the side effects with none of the benefit.
If your problem turns out to be genuinely outside what we can do remotely, the doctor will tell you straight away, point you to the right service, and refund your fee in full. We would rather do that than fill twenty minutes to justify the charge.
Call 999 or go to A&E — do not book an online appointment and do not wait for a reply to an email. For urgent problems that are not emergencies, NHS 111 is available 24 hours a day, online or by phone, and can direct you to the right service.
Patient reviews