Thousands of women have no access to routine mid-pregnancy scans to check abnormalities

It’s emerged that thousands of women have no access to routine mid-pregnancy scans to check abnormalities.

St Luke’s hospital in Kilkenny used to offer the 20 week scan for pregnant women.

However, it’s emerged that they now only offer it to those who specifically request them.

The scan looks in detail at the unborn baby’s bones, heart, brain and spinal cord among others.

In St Lukes in Kilkenny only 159 scans were carried out last year, despite over 1,700 births taking place in the local hospital.