The BBC's Morning Live show invited SoR president Katie Thompson on to discuss the risks surrounding the current lack of sonographer title regulation.
On Thursday, January 29, the BBC published a segment within its Morning Live programme discussing the problem of private ultrasound appointments, and how the lack of regulation surrounding the title of ‘sonographer’ was affecting those looking for additional reassurance during pregnancy.
SoR president Katie Thompson was interviewed from the Society’s headquarters to share her perspective and the policy of the SoR on just how damaging this lack is.
View the full interview here. The sonography segment starts four minutes in, with Katie's interview at around the nine-minute mark.
'No guarantee of appropriate training'
The BBC programme interviewed expectant mothers who had used the services of private ultrasound clinics to obtain additional reassurance on the development of the fetus. This included one woman whose pregnancy was found to be non-viable at a 12-week scan – despite her belief that her child’s birth defect could have been discovered in private scans much earlier in the process.
Interviewees also emphasised that these clinics advertised themselves professionally, which made later issues being discovered much more surprising.
Katie explained: “To offer an ultrasound scan, which is not diagnostic, there is no requirement. Anyone can go and buy a machine and set up a practice. There are no legal requirements, nor protected titles, to be a sonographer. People expect that anyone in a uniform knows exactly what they’re doing, is appropriately trained, and because sonographer is not a protected title and anyone can call themselves a sonographer, there’s no guarantee that there’s any appropriate training in the area that they’re doing the scan.
“There are some clinics that have very well-trained, experienced sonographers performing the scans, but a lot more clinics have popped up, and we cannot guarantee when you’re using these clinics, you’re going to get a good and safe service. If you really feel that something is not right [with your pregnancy], especially if you’ve not felt any movement, then you should be contacting your midwife or day assessment unit, not going to your local private clinic."
Framework of guidance and standards
The SoR has been lobbying for statutory regulation surrounding those who wish to use the title sonographer for many years now, given the dangers posed by unregistered sonographers conducting ultrasound scans.
Ultrasound scans conducted by non-specialists at baby-scan clinics have led to healthy babies being seriously misdiagnosed, with mothers having been told their baby is dead or has severe malformations, the SoR said in a statement last November.
The SoR offers a number of resources for members who are sonographers. Last month, it published a new framework outlining guidance and standards for sonographer roles that provide healthcare in early pregnancy. More information about the document, which was created in conjunction with the Association of Early Pregnancy Units - can be found here.
(Image: SoR president Katie Thompson, by Eva Slusarek)