Advice on private vs NHS at Chelsea & Westminster for high risk pregnancy

[Shanshoun]

Hi there, would appreciate any advice on this. I'm 37 and this is my first pregnancy. I'm now 19.5 weeks. I have been seen at the C&W on the NHS. Due to the fact that I had had 2 treatments for irregular smears in the past, they took the decision to monitor my cervical length. At 15 weeks the cervix suddenly shortened dramatically (down from 37 mm to 19/20 mm in 2 weeks) and I was brought in the next day for a cervical cerclage. The procedure was complicated, it took them almost an hour and a half (when they said it would take about 20 mins) and I was told it was difficult for them to do given how short the cervix was. I've been prescribed progestorone pessaries and to take it easy (I'm on modified bed rest). Even with the cerclage have been given a 50% chance of late miscarriage or pre-term prior to 28-30 weeks. The obstetrics team monitoring me is at Vasso Terzidou's clinic at the NHS (the first time Vasso was absent from the clinic so her senior registrar saw me and I have seen Vasso twice there). Since she wanted to do the cerclage at short notice and wasn't available herself it was performed by Natasha Mohammed (senior registrar) and Mark Johnson (consultant). I do believe that overall the care at the NHS has been good. However, my concern is that, whilst i had a follow up 2 weeks post the procedure, my next follow up was not schedule for another 5 weeks. I'm now 2 and a half weeks into those five weeks and I already have questions and concerns and do not feel I have a doctor I can pick up the phone to. It is that line of contact I would like to have, and a feeling of the availability of more consistent care. In my last appointment with Vasso, I asked her about private care at the C&W and she discouraged me, saying that I was getting the best care under the NHS. Any general advice from experience given my situation would be much appreciated. Can one choose to see an NHS consultant privately for ongoing advice (e.g. Mark Johnson who put in the stitch) but also continue with the NHS route? I would not see someone in a private hospital, as I know that in risky deliveries, facilities in NHS hospitals like the C&W are the best. Many thanks in advance!

[Mutley77]

I chose my Consultant for my last pregnancy (NHS). When the midwife was making my referral to Consultant care I just told her who I wanted and she wrote it on the form - all done, no problem.
My Consultant was very easy to access - I just rang the (NHS) hospital and asked for her secretary and the secretary would either liaise with the Consultant for me, or the Consultant would ring me back herself, depending what it was. If I thought the issue for discussion was more complex, I just rang and booked myself into her weekly clinic at the hospital.
I understood that all Private Consultants in the UK work in the NHS anyway, so why pay to access them was my view!
Good luck....

[sleepyhead]

You should be able to speak to your NHS Consultant. Phone her secretary.

[Shanshoun]

Thanks for your feedback - really appreciate it