Ultrasound Direct is an award-winning healthcare provider of private ultrasound appointments with more than 80 clinics and 220 sonographers throughout the country.HOW IT ALL STARTEDThe company is the brainchild of husband and wife Mike and Jan Steward. The pair share a passion for innovation, which they have channelled into creating a unique service for people receiving ultrasounds.They created the first Babybond® scan in 1998 to give pregnant women more choice when accessing ultrasound appointments.At the time, Jan had been working as a sonographer for the NHS for 15 years and recognised that many women wanted longer scan appointments. She felt it was important that women didn't feel rushed at what is often an emotional moment during pregnancy. She remains committed to meeting the needs of expectant women.Mike spent many years working on ultrasound equipment as an engineer and gained a huge amount of technical and business expertise. He even worked on the first 3D scanners in 1994. OUR SERVICESAlthough we initially only offered baby scans, we introduced the Ultrasound Direct brand in 2011 to offer a whole range of private scans for men and women to help with the diagnosis of a range of conditions.You can either come to us through self referral or GP referral. The NHS also commissions some of our ultrasound services.