Private Pelvic Ultrasound Scan in London — £180, Arranged Directly by You

Why patients choose us for a pelvic scan

A pelvic scan is a personal examination, and how it is handled matters as much as the picture it produces. You are booked in for 20 to 25 minutes rather than hurried through a slot, the sonographer says what they are about to do before they do it, and you can ask for a chaperone when you book — the team will confirm whether one is available for the time you want. The fee is £180, printed here rather than quoted on request, and it is confirmed with you before a time is agreed.

Pelvic imaging is one part of a longer ultrasound service. Everything the clinic offers appears below, each with its own fee and the time to set aside:

If the trouble is gynaecological rather than a specific scan you already have in mind, our gynaecology service may be the better starting point, and a private GP appointment is another way in if you would rather be examined and advised first. If you are a GP or consultant sending a patient, refer a patient sets out what we need. Ask us if you are unsure. We would far rather point you somewhere useful than sell you a scan that answers nothing, and the whole price list is published either way.

What a pelvic ultrasound shows, in women and in men

Sound is used to build a live picture of the organs sitting low in the pelvis, behind the bladder. What is examined depends on your anatomy and on the question being asked, and the sonographer will tell you what they are looking at as they work.

Depending on the referral, the scan covers:

• Uterus and womb lining — size, shape, fibroids and the thickness of the endometrium.
• Ovaries — cysts, follicles and the tissue around them. Ovaries are not always visible, particularly after the menopause.
• Bladder — the wall, stones, and how much urine is left behind after you pass water, the post-void residual.
• Prostate, in men — its size and outline, assessed through a filled bladder rather than internally.
• Free fluid or a mass low in the pelvis, and whether another test is needed to characterise it.

The limits are worth knowing before you come. Ultrasound cannot see inside the fallopian tubes or tell you whether they are open, and it is not a test for cancer of the ovary or the womb — a scan that looks normal does not rule those out, and a symptom that persists still needs a doctor's assessment. Bowel gas gets in the way of some views, and a bladder that is not full enough closes the very window the scan depends on. Where the view is not good enough to answer the question, the report says so instead of guessing.

Preparing: the full bladder that makes this scan work

For the scan over the tummy, a full bladder is the preparation. Urine pushes the bowel up and out of the way and gives the sound waves a clear window through to the uterus or the prostate, so how well you fill up genuinely changes what can be seen.

The usual instruction is:

1. Empty your bladder about an hour before the time of your appointment.
2. Then drink roughly a litre of water, about two pints, over the following half hour.
3. Do not go to the toilet again until the scan is done. Comfortably full is what is wanted, not painfully full.
4. Eat normally. There is no need to go without food for this scan.
5. Wear two pieces rather than a dress, so only the lower abdomen has to be uncovered.

Where a clearer view of the uterus and ovaries is needed, an internal scan may be offered. It is explained first and never goes ahead without your consent.

How long the appointment takes, and how the report reaches you

Allow 20 to 25 minutes. Most of that is the scan itself; the rest is checking in, the time taken to explain what is about to happen, and whatever you want to ask at the end. There is no anaesthetic and no recovery, so you can drive, work and carry on with the day straight afterwards.

The sonographer can tell you what they can see as they go, but the formal answer is the written report. It is normally e-mailed to you as a PDF within one working day of your appointment. You receive a copy and, with your consent, we can send it to your GP or consultant — for a weekend appointment that copy can take up to 48 hours. Your results sets out the whole process.

Where we are, and getting to us

Your appointment is with the London Diagnostic Centre — at the rear of Grovelands Medical Centre, 1 Grovelands Rd, London N13 4RJ. Grovelands Road runs between Aldermans Hill and Fox Lane, a short walk west of Green Lanes and the Palmers Green Triangle, and the clinic entrance is behind the medical centre.

Palmers Green station is on Aldermans Hill, a few minutes away on foot, with Great Northern trains on the Hertford Loop from Moorgate and Finsbury Park. Winchmore Hill is the next stop north and Bowes Park the next one south, within reach of Wood Green. On the Piccadilly line, Southgate and Oakwood are a short ride on the 121, which runs through to Palmers Green station. Driving in from Enfield, Muswell Hill or Edmonton, the A105 Green Lanes and the A406 North Circular are the usual routes.

• Palmers Green and Winchmore Hill — walking distance for a good many patients.
• Southgate and Oakwood — the 121 bus, which runs on to Palmers Green station. Enfield — down the A105 Green Lanes.
• Wood Green, Bounds Green and Muswell Hill — round the A406, or the train to Bowes Park.

If you are drinking water to fill your bladder before you set off, allow yourself time in hand for the journey; there is a lavatory here for the moment the scan is over. Ask about parking when the team ring to confirm. If you use a wheelchair, have trouble with steps, or need an interpreter or someone with you, say so when the team ring back and they will tell you exactly what the building can and cannot do and arrange what is needed. Booking for a child? Tell us their age when you ring. A patient under 16 must be brought by a parent or someone with parental responsibility, who consents to the test with them, and some examinations are not suitable for children — the team will say plainly if yours is not one we can do. What to expect on the day and paying with insurance answer most of what is left, and our FAQs cover the rest.