Private v NHS after stillbirth

[shajna]

Hi Ladies,

I am looking for some advice here, I recently gave stillbirth to my beautiful daughter Khadija after a healthy 41 weeks of pregnancy. I was a low risk pregnancy so was under the care of NHS - community led midwifery.

Unfortunately, on the day of my contractions the local hospital I was booked in with mismanaged my labour and failed to admit me in hospital on time which possibly led to the death of my daughter.

We are seriously considering going for private pregnancy care now with my second pregnancy and wanted to know if anyone else had opted for the private care after receiving substandard care with NHS?

I am aware most hospitals that offer private pregnancy care are based in south (London) but I have been told to follow recommendations of mothers/parents rather than how glossy the hospital leaflet is.

I would appreciate if anyone can suggest any hospital or consultant they think has been brilliant during their pregnancy, private or NHS.

Many thanks

Shajna

I am so sorry to hear bout your loss..that must have been very hard.
Well have a few conditions pelvic disorder and joint issues around this area due to pregnancy and the nhs refused to give me the option for a c section
i had my first baby in dubai where i felt i had a choice throughout and the hospitals werent worried bout a budget...i was induced at 40 weeks as the cord was around the neck ...again here the nhs would not

this time i am living in london and have opted to go privately ..i see my consultant every other week or as much as i need i pay him a package fee so can visit his team as and when without extra cost.

i am resitered at the kensington wing at chelsea and westminster...
if you go private it is more the consultant you choose that matters as he will be making all the decisions...i am due for a c section in august...not sure what the hospital is like but i refuse to have a midwife led care...they only know what to do in straightforward cases...they are not doctors

so i am very happy with my consultant...he is with chelsea and westminster which is my closest private hosp

i would recommend to go privately ....let me know if you need anymore info

my consultant is keith duncan by the way ...

I had a stillbirth (which was not the hospital's fault) and opted for NHS care after. In your position I think I would try a different NHS hospital, as you will never be able to trust that one again.

I can understand your fears of the NHS, but I think that you will find the care you receive subsequently is of a very high standard (and free of course). It was totally different (very compassionate and attentive) for me the second time around.

Depends how much money you have of course but I am confident I had care on the NHS (AFTER my stillbirth) which matched or bettered private care so would not pay, even if I had the money!

I am so sorry you had to go through this too. Its over 3 years since I lost my first daughter (now have 18 month old DD2) but I have not forgotten how hard the early months are. xxx

I had my children privately and in my experience what you're paying for really is the postnatal care. I think if you were able to develop a good relationship with your consultant, and have a plan you're happy with, the NHS level of monitoring is far superior. My first child had some placental issues and whilst I had both private and NHS care in parallel my private consultant said he would have referred me back to the NHS foetal medicine team anyway as their expertise is superior.
I can't imagine how hard it is to have been through what you've endured. Very best of luck for the future. x

Hi Billy11 ,

Thanks for your advice, really appreciate it, few other people have recommended C&W Hospital now. If you dont mind me asking how long has it been since you had your 2nd child at C&W Hosp?

Have you heard about any other consultant of this hospital who has good/bad reputation?

Also, I would be relocating to Reading, do you think I might have problem with commuting to C&W Hosp or shall I look for a house near the hospital? I just fear something else might go wrong if I cant access medical help straight away ....or am I just panicking here?

I've been told I will be induced on my next pregnancy by 38th week, do you know the hospital protocol on early induction?

Apologies for bombarding you with questions, am really nervous about receiving care now and want to rely on real life experience.

Many thanks for your help

Shajna