Private NIPT Test & Early Pregnancy Scan in London

A private NIPT test with an early pregnancy scan at London Private Ultrasound is £549, all in. That covers the ultrasound, the maternal blood sample, screening for the three common trisomies, optional fetal sex, a sonographer-led explanation and a digital scan report.

Across London, NIPT generally ranges from around £400 for a basic three-trisomy panel to over £1,000 for extended panels that add sex chromosomes, microdeletions or single-gene conditions.

The standard NIPT screens the likelihood of the three common trisomies: Down’s syndrome (trisomy 21), Edwards’ syndrome (trisomy 18) and Patau’s syndrome (trisomy 13). Optional fetal sex determination can be added on request.

The ultrasound separately checks viability, gestational age and whether a single or multiple pregnancy is present.

NIPT is the most accurate screening test for Down’s syndrome, with a detection rate above 99% and a false-positive rate below 0.1%. Detection is around 97% for Edwards’ syndrome and around 93% for Patau’s syndrome, and fetal sex is reported with over 99% accuracy.

It remains a screening test — it estimates chance rather than giving a diagnosis — so a high-chance result should be confirmed with a diagnostic test.

The NIPT test with scan is available from 10 weeks + 4 days of pregnancy. If you are unsure of your dates, the ultrasound element helps confirm gestational age before the blood sample is taken, so you are not tested too early.

We offer NIPT with a scan from 10 weeks + 4 days rather than at 9 weeks. Before then there is often too little fetal DNA in the mother’s bloodstream (a low “fetal fraction”), which raises the chance of an inconclusive result and a repeat test. Waiting the extra few days gives a more reliable result first time, and the ultrasound confirms your dates so you are not tested too early.

Yes. Optional fetal sex determination can be included on request and is reported with over 99% accuracy from the same blood sample — earlier than a gender scan. Please tell the team before the sample is sent whether you would like fetal sex included or excluded.

Yes. NIPT uses a maternal blood sample taken from your arm and is non-invasive to the pregnancy — nothing is taken from the placenta or amniotic fluid, so it carries no miscarriage risk. The ultrasound uses sound waves rather than ionising radiation and is performed following standard safety principles.

A comfortably full bladder is usually helpful for the early pregnancy ultrasound. Drink around 0.75 to 1 litre of water about an hour before your appointment, unless you have been advised otherwise. No fasting is needed for the blood test.

No. NIPT is a highly accurate screening test, not a diagnostic test — it estimates the chance that a baby is affected. A high-chance result usually needs a diagnostic test such as chorionic villus sampling (CVS) or amniocentesis to confirm before any major decisions are made.

A high-chance result does not mean the baby is definitely affected. You should discuss it with your maternity team, GP, obstetrician or a fetal medicine specialist, who may recommend a diagnostic test such as CVS or amniocentesis. We can provide your report and recommend appropriate onward referral.

Occasionally the laboratory cannot produce a confident result, usually because there was not enough fetal DNA in the sample. This is called a “no-call” or inconclusive result, and it does not mean anything is wrong. It is usually resolved with a repeat sample taken a little later in pregnancy, and we will explain your options if it happens.

NIPT can be used in some twin pregnancies, but performance and the conditions that can be reported differ from singleton pregnancies, and some panels and fetal-sex reporting are limited. Please tell the clinic you have a twin or higher-order pregnancy when you book so we can confirm suitability first.

NIPT works well for most pregnancies, but it can be less reliable, or need extra advice, in some situations — for example higher-order multiples, a known vanishing twin, some maternal chromosomal differences, or certain donor-egg and surrogacy pregnancies. Twin pregnancies can be tested but with a more limited report. Tell us about your pregnancy when you book and we will confirm whether NIPT is suitable before you attend.

No routine GP or midwife referral is required for private booking. If you have NHS maternity notes, previous scan reports, IVF dates or earlier screening results, please bring them for clinical context.

Ultrasound findings are explained on the day and a digital scan report is issued straight away. Blood-test turnaround depends on the laboratory and pathway, so the current expected timeframe is confirmed at booking. NIPT results are typically available within about a week.

No. This private test does not replace NHS antenatal care, routine appointments, the anomaly scan or midwife-led care. You should continue your NHS or private maternity pathway as planned. NIPT gives you additional, earlier and more accurate screening information alongside it.

The NHS combined test — a nuchal translucency (NT) scan plus a blood test at 11 to 14 weeks — detects around 85% of Down’s syndrome cases, with about a 5% false-positive rate. NIPT detects over 99%, with a false-positive rate below 0.1%, and can be done earlier, from 10 weeks + 4 days. Many parents choose NIPT for its higher accuracy and earlier reassurance.

London Private Ultrasound offers NIPT with an early pregnancy scan at 27 Welbeck Street, W1G 8EN, in the Harley Street Medical District, and at 54–56 Victoria Street, St Albans, AL1 3HZ. Both clinics are open seven days a week, 9am to 7pm, with appointments often available the same or next day.

Yes, a partner or support person is welcome. Please contact the clinic in advance if you have specific privacy, chaperone, accessibility or support requirements, or if you would like to request a female sonographer.

Seek urgent NHS maternity, Early Pregnancy Unit, A&E or emergency care rather than booking a routine private scan if you have heavy bleeding, severe abdominal or pelvic pain, shoulder-tip pain, fainting, collapse, fever, severe dizziness or feel acutely unwell.