Private NIPT Test & Early Pregnancy Scan

The standard NIPT blood test with early pregnancy ultrasound is £549. The package covers screening for trisomies 21, 18 and 13, the blood sample, ultrasound assessment, explanation and a digital scan report. Optional fetal-sex reporting is included on request where the laboratory can provide it. Separate specialist consultations and diagnostic procedures such as CVS or amniocentesis are not included. If the laboratory issues an inconclusive or no-result report for your initial standard NIPT sample, the £549 package includes one repeat blood collection and laboratory analysis at no additional charge (£0), provided your clinician and the laboratory consider repeat testing appropriate. The repeat does not include another ultrasound scan. A repeat sample may also be inconclusive. If repeat testing is unsuitable, you may decline it or discuss other options with your maternity or fetal medicine team. A second repeat is not included or automatically arranged; any further service requires a separate clinical discussion and an agreed price before you proceed. Repeat sampling must not delay assessment or diagnostic testing recommended by your maternity team.

The standard panel estimates the chance of Down’s syndrome (trisomy 21), Edwards’ syndrome (trisomy 18) and Patau’s syndrome (trisomy 13). It analyses cell-free DNA in the pregnant person’s blood; the pregnancy-related DNA mainly comes from the placenta. It does not screen for every genetic condition or physical difference.

No. A higher-chance result does not confirm that the baby has the condition, and a lower-chance result does not rule it out completely. Diagnostic testing may be offered to clarify a higher-chance result. You can accept or decline further testing after discussing the benefits, limitations and risks with your maternity or fetal medicine team.

Performance varies by condition, test method and pregnancy circumstances. A detection rate describes how often the test identifies pregnancies affected by a condition. Positive predictive value (PPV) is the proportion of higher-chance results for a particular condition that are confirmed to be affected by that condition. These are different measures, and PPV depends on the underlying chance of the condition. Ask for the current information for the laboratory test being offered and discuss how it applies to you. False-positive, false-negative and inconclusive results are possible.

This clinic offers the combined NIPT and scan appointment from 10 weeks + 4 days, subject to suitability. This is our service’s booking threshold, rather than a universal biological cut-off for every NIPT test. The ultrasound helps assess gestational age and suitability before blood sampling. An inconclusive result remains possible after this stage.

No. Screening is optional. You may choose to have NIPT, decline it, or discuss other screening and diagnostic options with your maternity team. Declining screening does not remove your entitlement to routine NHS antenatal care. Take time to consider what you would want to know and how different results might affect you.

Contact your maternity team or a fetal medicine specialist to discuss the result. They can explain the condition, your individual circumstances and options, which may include CVS or amniocentesis. NIPT alone cannot establish a diagnosis. You may choose diagnostic testing or no further testing. Ask the clinic how reports are shared and which follow-up services carry separate charges.

It means the chance of the screened condition is reduced, but is not zero. NIPT does not exclude all chromosome conditions, genetic conditions or structural differences. Continue your routine maternity appointments and recommended ultrasound scans.

Sometimes the laboratory cannot report a result. Reasons can include a low proportion of placental DNA in the sample and other technical or biological factors. This is not a lower-chance result and does not establish whether the baby is affected or unaffected. Discuss it with your maternity or fetal medicine team. Depending on your circumstances, options may include another blood sample, diagnostic testing or no further testing. One repeat blood collection and laboratory analysis is included at no extra charge (£0) after an initial inconclusive result, where clinically and laboratory appropriate. It does not include another scan. A repeat can also be inconclusive. A second repeat is not included; further options and any separate costs must be discussed before you proceed.

NIPT uses blood taken from your arm, without a needle entering the womb. Blood sampling may cause discomfort, bruising, bleeding or faintness; infection is uncommon. Ultrasound uses sound waves rather than ionising radiation. CVS and amniocentesis are different, invasive diagnostic procedures with their own risks, which should be discussed separately if offered.

Fetal-sex reporting is optional and is included on request where available and suitable for the pregnancy. Tell the team whether you want this information before the sample is sent. Results and reporting limitations depend on the laboratory and pregnancy circumstances; fetal sex is not the same as gender identity.

Eligibility and reporting depend on the laboratory method and the pregnancy. Tell the clinic about twins or higher-order multiples, a vanishing twin, IVF, donor eggs, surrogacy, relevant medical conditions or previous screening findings before booking. These circumstances do not all automatically exclude testing, but may change suitability or interpretation.

Follow the clinic’s scan preparation instructions. A comfortably full bladder may help an abdominal early pregnancy scan; do not force fluids if you have been advised to restrict them. Bring previous scan or screening reports, your pregnancy dates and any IVF information. Tell reception about accessibility, communication or support needs.

Ultrasound findings are discussed at the appointment and a digital scan report is provided. Ask for the current laboratory turnaround, how the blood-test result will be explained and who to contact if it is delayed. Laboratory processing or repeat sampling may extend the expected timeframe.

No. NIPT and ultrasound assess different things. Continue routine antenatal care and discuss your screening choices with your maternity team. The NHS combined screening pathway uses ultrasound and blood markers; NIPT analyses cell-free DNA. Availability and suitability depend on your circumstances and local NHS pathway. An early private scan does not replace the recommended fetal anomaly scan.

No routine GP referral is needed for private booking. A partner or support person may attend; discuss any chaperone, privacy, interpreter or accessibility arrangements with reception beforehand. A requested clinician or appointment time is subject to availability.

Do not wait for a routine private appointment if you have heavy bleeding, severe abdominal or pelvic pain, shoulder-tip pain, fainting, collapse or feel seriously unwell. Seek urgent maternity or early pregnancy assessment. Call 999 for collapse or a life-threatening emergency; use NHS 111 if you need urgent advice and are unsure where to go.