Women’s Scans · Lumps, Pain, Discharge & Implants

Private Breast Ultrasound in London

A targeted scan of the area that concerns you, with the axilla assessed too — explained on screen as we scan, and referred onward plainly where a breast clinic is what you need.

  • 30-minute appointment — unhurried, where most clinics allow 20
  • First-line imaging under 40, where tissue is denser
  • Both the breast and the armpit lymph nodes assessed
  • Findings at the scan; written report usually within two hours
  • No GP referral required — self-refer today
£189breast ultrasound examination · report and images included
Book Your Breast Scan
Call 0203 051 6506

CQC-registered clinic · Provider ID 1-2775844974 · HCPC-registered sonographers

30Minutes · Unhurried Examination
£189Report & Images Included
4.9 ★476 Google Reviews
0Radiation · Completely Safe
The Basics

What is a breast ultrasound?

A breast ultrasound uses high-frequency sound waves to examine breast tissue and the lymph nodes in the armpit. There is no radiation and no compression — the probe simply moves over the area with warm gel.

It is particularly good at one thing mammography cannot do easily: telling a fluid-filled cyst from a solid lump, immediately and definitively. In younger women, whose breast tissue is typically denser, it is the first-line imaging test for a focal concern for exactly that reason.

What it is not is a replacement for the full breast assessment pathway. We do not offer mammography, biopsy or breast MRI. Where a finding needs any of those, the honest answer is a breast clinic through your GP, where examination, imaging and biopsy happen in one visit — and the report is written to get you there.

Indications

Why might I need a breast ultrasound?

Most people book because they have found something, or because something has changed. A lump, an area of thickening, pain in one spot that will not settle, a change around the nipple, or a concern about an implant.

The scan is targeted: you show us where, and we examine that area properly along with the surrounding tissue and the armpit. That focus is what makes it useful for a symptom — and it is also why it is not a screening test, which is a different job done differently.

Breast ultrasound examination at IUS London

Common reasons to book

  • A lump or area of thickening you have found
  • Focal pain in one place that has not settled
  • A change in the skin or around the nipple
  • Nipple discharge you want assessed
  • Checking a known cyst or fibroadenoma
  • Concern about implant integrity
What we assess

  • The area of concern, targeted and measured
  • Whether a lump is a simple cyst or solid
  • Cyst characteristics — simple, complicated or complex
  • Fibroadenomas and other benign appearances
  • Lymph nodes in the armpit on that side
  • Implant shell integrity where relevant
Changes that need your GP and the breast clinic pathway

A hard fixed lump, skin dimpling or puckering, nipple retraction that is new, bloody or single-duct discharge, or a persistently red inflamed breast should go to your GP promptly — these warrant urgent referral to a breast clinic, where triple assessment happens in one visit. A private ultrasound can run alongside that referral, but it should never delay it, and it is not a substitute for biopsy.

Suitability

Is this scan suitable for me?

A breast ultrasound is a good fit if any of these sound like you:

  • ✓You are under 40 with a focal lump or area of concern
  • ✓You have dense breast tissue and a targeted question
  • ✓You have found a lump and want it characterised quickly
  • ✓You have focal pain in one place that has not settled
  • ✓You are monitoring a known cyst or fibroadenoma
  • ✓You want an implant checked for integrity

And when it is not the right booking

You are due for NHS breast screening — that is mammography every three years from 50 to 71, and it is a different test doing a different job. Attend it when invited — ultrasound does not replace it.

You want a whole-breast screening scan without symptoms — ultrasound is a targeted test. Used as general screening it raises false positives without the evidence base mammography has.

A finding needs biopsy or mammography — we provide neither. That is a breast clinic through your GP, and we will say so plainly rather than scan around it.

Book your breast scan — £189Not sure? Call 0203 051 6506

If a breast ultrasound is not the right test for you, we will say so before you book — not after.

Your Appointment

What happens on the day

  1. 1
    Arrive — no preparation neededNothing to fast for, no special clothing required beyond something easy to change out of. The appointment is 30 minutes.
  2. 2
    Show us whereYou point to the area that concerns you, and tell us how long it has been there and whether it changes with your cycle. That shapes the examination.
  3. 3
    The scanLying down with your arm raised. Warm gel and a small probe over the area of concern and the surrounding tissue. A female chaperone is present.
  4. 4
    The armpit tooLymph nodes on that side are assessed as standard — they are part of the picture, not an optional extra.
  5. 5
    Findings explained on screenCyst or solid, and what the appearances suggest. You leave knowing what was seen rather than waiting for a letter.
  6. 6
    Your report and onward routeUsually with you within two hours, and written so your GP can refer you on directly if that is what the findings call for.
Ultrasound settles the question most people are actually asking — is it a cyst or is it solid — within minutes. What it cannot do is tell you what a solid lump is made of. Only a biopsy does that, and that belongs at a breast clinic.
Clinical Education

Ultrasound, mammogram and MRI

Three tests, three jobs. Only one of them is ours.

Ultrasound — targeted, any age

Best for a specific area of concern, and first-line under 40 where tissue is denser. Distinguishes cyst from solid immediately, with no radiation and no compression. This is what we offer.

Mammogram — screening from 50

The NHS programme invites women every three years from 50 to 71. It detects microcalcification, which ultrasound does not show — a genuine gap, and a reason the two tests are not interchangeable. We do not offer mammography.

MRI — high risk and problem solving

Used for high-risk surveillance, implant rupture confirmation and complex cases. More sensitive than either of the others for some questions, and arranged through a breast clinic. We do not offer it.

Your Results

What your report might say

A simple cyst, or normal tissueA simple cyst is benign, needs no follow-up, and is often the whole answer. Normal tissue with a documented targeted examination is genuinely reassuring for a focal concern.

A benign-appearing solid lumpA fibroadenoma or similar. Common, particularly in younger women. Depending on size, age and appearance the report may recommend a short-interval recheck or a breast clinic opinion to confirm it.

An appearance needing a breast clinicDescribed plainly, measured, with the axilla reported. We tell you in the room without hurrying you, and write the report so your GP can make an urgent referral the same day where that is warranted.

A normal ultrasound does not override a lump you or your doctor can feel. If something is palpable and persistent, it needs assessing at a breast clinic regardless of imaging. Ultrasound also does not show microcalcification, which is why it does not replace mammography.

Cyst or solid — answered today

A targeted 30-minute assessment with the armpit included, explained on screen as we scan, with your written report usually within two hours.

Book Your Breast Scan — £189Call 0203 051 6506
From Our Practice

How we scan breasts

Scanned by the person reporting it

The sonographer who scans you writes your report. Nothing goes to a remote reader who never met you.

The axilla as standard

Armpit lymph nodes are assessed every time, not treated as an add-on.

Female chaperone present

As standard for intimate examinations, and you can stop the scan at any point without giving a reason.

We route onward plainly

If you need a breast clinic, we say so in the room and write the report to get you there quickly.

FAQs

Breast ultrasound — your questions answered

Is ultrasound better than a mammogram?
Neither is better — they answer different questions. Ultrasound is first-line for a focal concern and under 40, and tells cyst from solid immediately. Mammography is the screening test from 50 and shows microcalcification, which ultrasound cannot. They complement each other.
Can a breast ultrasound detect cancer?
It can detect appearances that are suspicious for cancer, and it is very good at that for a targeted area. It cannot confirm a diagnosis — only a biopsy does that, at a breast clinic through your GP.
Do you offer mammograms or biopsies?
No, neither, and no breast MRI. We provide diagnostic ultrasound only. Where a finding needs any of those, the report says so and your GP arranges the breast clinic referral.
Should I have this instead of NHS screening?
No. If you are invited for NHS breast screening, attend it. Mammography detects things ultrasound does not, and a private scan does not replace your place in that programme.
I am under 40 with a lump. Is ultrasound the right test?
Usually yes — it is the first-line imaging test in younger women because denser tissue limits mammography. If the scan finds something needing further assessment, that goes to a breast clinic.
Will you check my armpit as well?
Yes, as standard. Lymph nodes on the affected side are part of the assessment rather than an optional extra.
Can you check my breast implants?
Yes, for shell integrity and obvious rupture signs. MRI remains more sensitive for silent rupture, and if that is the question the report says so.
Is there a chaperone?
Yes — a female chaperone is present during the examination as standard, and you can stop at any point without giving a reason.
Does it hurt?
No. There is no compression, unlike mammography. It is warm gel and light pressure from a small probe, though a tender area may be uncomfortable — tell us and we will adjust.
How quickly will I get my results?
Findings are explained on screen during the scan, and the written report is usually with you within two hours.
Related Services

Other MSK scans we offer

Women’s HealthAll Women’s Scans

The full range of women’s health ultrasound we offer.

See scans →
GuideBreast Ultrasound Under 40

Why ultrasound comes first when tissue is denser.

Read the guide →
GuideUnderstanding Breast Cysts

Simple, complicated and complex — what each means.

Read the guide →

Further reading: when to get a breast ultrasound and ultrasound vs mammogram vs MRI.

Location

Where can you get a breast ultrasound in London?

Our clinic is at 5a Lucerne Mews, Kensington, London W8 4ED — a quiet mews three minutes on foot from Notting Hill Gate, serving Kensington, Notting Hill, Holland Park, Bayswater and central London.

Short-notice appointments are often available, including for people facing a long wait elsewhere. Call 0203 051 6506 for today’s availability.

Getting here

By tube: Notting Hill Gate — three minutes’ walk.

By bus: Routes along Notting Hill Gate and Kensington Church Street stop nearby.

By car: On-street parking nearby — full options in directions & parking.

Book Your Scan

Do not wait wondering

A targeted breast ultrasound with the armpit assessed, explained on screen as we scan — and an honest route onward to a breast clinic if that is what your findings call for.

Book Online0203 051 6506
£189
Breast ultrasound scan · 30 minutes

Book Now

5a Lucerne Mews
Kensington, London W8 4ED
3 mins from Notting Hill Gate
CQC Registered
HCPC Sonographers
No GP Referral Needed
Report Within 2 Hours
No Radiation

Written and clinically reviewed by the HCPC-registered sonographers who perform this scan at IUS London — a CQC-registered diagnostic ultrasound clinic (Provider ID 1-2775844974). Your own findings are explained to you at the scan and set out in your report.

Author: Yianni Kiromitis, Senior Sonographer, HCPC RA38415 — over 20 years’ experience in NHS and private ultrasound · Reviewed 10 August 2026