Numi Scan Gateshead — Award-Winning Private Baby Scan Clinic
Reception at the Numi Scan Gateshead clinic on Gateshead High Street
COMMON QUESTIONS

Baby scan questions, answered properly

The things families actually ring us about, grouped so you can jump to your own situation. If yours is not here, call 0191 422 9570 and ask — we would rather you knew before you booked.

You do not need a GP referral for any scan at our Gateshead clinic, and most appointments are available within 24 to 48 hours. Scans run from £65 to £135, with NIPT from £280 and the Early Gender Blood Test from £125. Mum plus up to 7 guests are welcome in the room. We are open Monday to Friday and Sunday, and closed on Saturdays. Every price includes prints, digital images and a written report.

Booking and referrals

The short version: you book it yourself, and you can usually be seen within a couple of days.

Do I need a GP referral for a private baby scan?
No. Every scan at our Gateshead clinic is self-referral, which is how most UK private clinics work. Book online or ring 0191 422 9570. Our self-referral guide walks through how the pathway works.

How quickly can I get an appointment?
Typically within 24 to 48 hours, and often the same day you call. Sunday mornings and the Monday, Wednesday and Thursday evening sessions fill first, so allow a few days for those. Tuesday and Friday mornings are usually the quietest slots on the Gateshead timetable.

Are you open on Saturdays?
No, we are closed on Saturdays. We are open Monday to Friday and Sunday. Monday, Wednesday and Thursday are evening-only, 4:30pm to 7:30pm. Tuesday and Friday run a morning and an evening session, and Sunday is 9:30am to 2:30pm. The location page has the full timetable.

What happens if I need to move my appointment?
Give us at least 48 hours' notice and we will move it with no fuss — your deposit carries over to the new slot. Inside 24 hours the £20 deposit is non-refundable, simply because we cannot fill the slot at that notice.

Choosing the right scan

Mostly decided by how many weeks pregnant you are. If you are unsure, ring us with your dates and we will match a package.

Which scan do I need at my stage of pregnancy?
6 to 9 weeks is the Early Pregnancy Viability Scan. 10 to 14 weeks is the Reassurance Scan. From 15 weeks you can find out the sex with the Gender Baby Scan. 24 to 34 weeks is the 4D window. From 24 weeks the Growth & Presentation Scan covers birth planning. The packages page lays all of it out by week.

When is the best time for a 4D scan?
24 to 34 weeks, with 26 to 30 weeks the sweet spot. Earlier than 24 weeks and there is not enough fat under baby's skin to round out the face; later than 34 and they tend to tuck hands and feet over it. See the 28-week guide for why that window works.

How early can I find out if it's a boy or a girl?
From 7 weeks with the DNA-based Early Gender Blood Test, which is 99% accurate from a blood sample. By ultrasound, from 15 weeks with the Gender Baby Scan at 99%+ accuracy.

Can I book more than one scan?
Yes, and it works out cheaper. Watch Me Grow bundles a wellbeing scan, a 4D scan and a growth scan across the pregnancy for £166 — £56 less than booking the three separately.

Costs and payment

Every quoted price is the whole appointment: the scan, printed photos, digital images by email, and a written report where clinically relevant.

How much does a private baby scan cost?
From £65 for a Wellbeing & Reassurance Scan up to £135 for the Luxury 4D. DNA testing is priced separately: from £125 for the Early Gender Blood Test and from £280 for NIPT. Our UK cost guide sets that against national averages.

Do I have to pay the whole amount upfront?
No. A £20 deposit secures the slot and comes off the total on the day. The balance is payable at your appointment by card, bank transfer or cash.

Are there any hidden extras?
No. Prints, digital images and the written report are in the price. The only optional add-on is 8K enhanced images at £25 for one or £35 for two, and nobody will push it on you at the desk.

Do you charge more for twins?
Yes, a 25% surcharge once a multiple pregnancy has been confirmed — usually at or after the NHS 12-week dating scan, or when we spot it on one of our own scans. It covers the extra scan time and the dual reporting.

Your visit

Appointments run 30 to 45 minutes door to door. Full detail on the what to expect page.

How many people can I bring?
Mum plus up to 7 guests, children included. Two 46-inch LED TVs and a projector wall mean everyone in the room sees what the sonographer sees, from proper seating rather than standing against a wall.

Do I need a full bladder?
Under 20 weeks, yes — drink about a litre of water 45 to 60 minutes beforehand and do not empty before the scan. After 20 weeks it is usually not needed.

What if baby is in an awkward position?
It happens constantly. We will try a short walk along Gateshead High Street, something cold to drink, or coming back to it later in the appointment. If we still cannot get the views you booked for, you get a free re-scan within two weeks, Monday to Friday.

Is there parking at the clinic?
We are on Gateshead High Street with several car parks within a couple of minutes — the Churchill Shopping Centre is the easiest. Gateshead Interchange is nearby for Metro and bus connections.

NHS and private together

Private scans sit alongside NHS antenatal care. They do not replace it, and we will never suggest otherwise.

Is a private scan a replacement for my NHS appointments?
No. Your NHS dating and 20-week anomaly scans are the diagnostic gold standard for screening and you should always attend them. Ours are reassurance scans — they add time, guests, images you own, and access at weeks the NHS does not scan. The side-by-side comparison covers when each one helps.

Why does the NHS not scan after 20 weeks?
Routine NHS care moves to midwife appointments after the anomaly scan — fundal height, blood pressure, urine — and only scans again if something specific prompts it. That is the gap most of our third-trimester bookings fill, particularly the 36-week position check.

Will you tell me if you find something concerning?
Yes, carefully and without alarm, and we will direct you straight to your midwife, GP or the appropriate NHS pathway. Our scans are reassurance-focused and non-diagnostic, so anything that needs investigating belongs in NHS hands.

Can I get NIPT on the NHS?
Only after a high-chance result from the combined test. Privately it is available to anyone from 10 weeks — our NIPT Test runs in three tiers from £280, with results in 3 to 5 working days.

Safety and standards

We are registered with and inspected by the Care Quality Commission, and the registration is publicly verifiable at cqc.org.uk.

Are you regulated?
Yes. Numi Scan Gateshead is registered with and inspected by the Care Quality Commission, the body overseeing clinical standards across NHS and private healthcare in England. Registered since the clinic opened in 2025, with no enforcement actions on record. Detail on the CQC page.

Are your sonographers qualified?
Every sonographer scanning here is experienced and professionally registered, and each one brings years of specialist obstetric experience. Their registration number appears on the bottom of every written report you take home, so you can verify it yourself.

Is ultrasound safe in pregnancy?
Diagnostic ultrasound has been used in obstetrics for more than five decades. It is sound waves, not radiation, and we follow the British Medical Ultrasound Society's ALARA principle — As Low As Reasonably Achievable — on every scan.

What equipment do you use?
GE Voluson ultrasound systems, calibrated routinely, supporting 2D, 3D, 4D and HD Live imaging. HD Live is switched on as standard for every 4D scan — there is no premium tier and no extra charge for it.

Still not sure?

Pregnancy throws up questions that no FAQ page anticipates, and the ones that matter most are usually specific to you — your dates, your last scan, something a midwife said that did not quite land. Ring 0191 422 9570 and you will get someone at the clinic rather than a call centre.

If you would rather read first: the what to expect page walks through an appointment start to finish, packages and pricing lays out every scan by week, and our reviews tell you what other Newcastle families made of it.

Got your answer? Let's get you booked

A £20 deposit holds your slot, with a 24-hour cancellation policy. No GP referral needed for any scan.

Book Your Scan

Call us

0191 422 9570

Email us

info@gatesheadnumiscan.co.uk

Visit us

Ground Floor, 203 High Street, Gateshead, NE8 1AS

Find My Scan

Not sure where to start? Let us guide you to the perfect scan based on your stage of pregnancy.