Private or NHS?

[buntybanana]

I wonder if anyone has any recent experiences of going private (especially at the Lindo Wing)?

We're considering going private for a variety of reasons & want to make the decision early (currently TTC). I know that NHS emergency care is always the best quality, but since Covid and the recent state of the NHS I've become concerned. I have two friends that are midwives at the NHS hospital I would be at if we decided not to go private. They've shared harrowing experiences with me and confided that it's becoming dangerous for patients because they're so overworked, tired & understaffed. There have been several extremely worrying situations regarding women and their babies health. Additionally, I know I want an epidural and apparently it's just luck of the draw at this point and there might not be anyone available to provide this.

I'm late 20s with no health problems & currently it wouldn't be impossible for us financially to go private, but it wouldn't be easy. This might change as my husband's company are currently sorting out private health insurance for both is us, but not sure what it would cover. I wonder if anyone could share any recent experiences with me?

It’s pretty standard for international private health care policies to cover you.

It was annoying at my last company that those here on ex pat packages got their maternity covered while UK employees didn’t, but it is what it is

BUPA used to cover c-sections in their UK corporate policies where there was a risk to the mothers life
Generally that meant pre eclampsia or placenta previa but my consultant at the time said he had good rate of getting them to pay

Sadly BUPA revised their UK policies a few years ago to exclude anything to do with pregnancy and birth in any situation

@Bells3032

so it's a global one not a UK based one. None of the UK based ones cover maternity

I'm at a U.K. based company and it's a workplace scheme is what I meant, but I get your point - U.K. only policies don't cover it whereas global ones might - tends to depend on the person's role I'd assume?

The more senior you are or if your role involves a lot of travel, policy may be a global one and therefore cover maternity.

Having mixed NHS and private:

• If insurance is paying or money is no object, go private as it's fantastic experience wise, especially if you have health problems.

• If paying yourself & cost conscious I would go NHS but pay for a private room. You don't want cost to be at the back of your mind when medical decisions are being made about type of treatment to get.

Good luck OP!

sadly private rooms in a lot of the hospitals aren't an option anymore as they're kept back for covid positive patients :(

I also had my private maternity care covered by my workplace insurance.

Also those saying you shouldn't deliver somewhere without an NICU, out of interest, do you also oppose home births and those in midwife led units?

@user1477249785 I think everyone should get a choice but I think home births are not a good idea I also wouldn't use a midwife led unit which didn't have nicu back up in some form. I also think if you're paying that much for care you should be getting the best and safest care you can.

Also those saying you shouldn't deliver somewhere without an NICU, out of interest, do you also oppose home births and those in midwife led units?
Specifically as a private patient I would always go for a wing in an NHS hospital with a NICU for a few reasons:

• To avoid spiralling costs as it will mean baby will be an NHS patient should they need treatment
• You’re paying a lot of money for the best and safest care and to me that means a NICU not just fancy toiletries in the en suite
• Continuity of care because you know that you won’t end up being transferred elsewhere; even if baby is in the NICU you’re still being cared for by the consultant you’ve paid for, in the room you’ve paid for etc. etc.

It should go without saying that of course MLU and homebirths should exist for those who want them.

Hi everyone, recently found out I’m pregnant due around July 22. My mother has raised some of the same concerns as OP has, my mum had some children at hospital and some at home and said if she had to do it again she’s go private for same reasons at OP. Is anyone else a first time mum considering private? How has everyone managed to save that much money in 9months?

If you have to save up to go private, don’t do it, there are a lot better things you can spend the money on when the baby arrives.

@Rainbow123456789 agree with cherry. it will be very hard to save up £20k in 9 months if you don't already have it. Babies in general are expensive and i recommend using that to see you through mat leave etc.

FYI we didn't save it in 9 months. it is our savings over several years. when we were buying a house we put £50k aside of our savings to keep for two private deliveries.

@Bells3032 'Doctors fees: between £8-10k depending on when you have care from.
Normal delivery hospital fees: £6100
C-section hospital fees: £8k
Aenthatist (if needed): around £2k
If you need a c-section then budget for 4 nights in hospital so that's an extra £3600.'

This is nuts , I have private healthcare (in Aus) and it's about $3,000 out of pocket for everything. How is it so much ?!

yeah it's nuts isn't it? The usa is less than half that price and that's with american medical prices!

I don't know why it's so much money. hospital near me used to do "part private" which was basically you got a consultant at your delivery and a private room but everything else was NHS. It was £5k in total. annoyed they don't do that anymore

@Bells3032 how much is private cover in the UK? Wonder if disparity starts there.

In Aus to include pregnancy & birth into my healthcare, it does double in cost to $400 monthly.

Also all the tests I either go public or pay myself for private; healthcare only covers the moment you get into a hospital.

Still not a bad deal I don't think.

private insurance used to include childbirth but very few now do. I have friends that cost about £600 a year. Mine is about £3-4k a year as i have a few pre-existing conditions but includes all outpatient appts too. The "global" ones that cover the cost of childbirth are about £1000 a month.

@CherryRedDMs

If you have to save up to go private, don’t do it, there are a lot better things you can spend the money on when the baby arrives.

I agree with this

A private delivery is largely a lifestyle decision, as you can have a perfectly safe delivery with the NHS, but you won’t get as much choice re natural vs ELCS, and the postnatal wards are a bit grim

But it is a lot of money and it’s not worth making yourself broke for, at what is already an expensive time of life

@Bells3032

private insurance used to include childbirth but very few now do. I have friends that cost about £600 a year. Mine is about £3-4k a year as i have a few pre-existing conditions but includes all outpatient appts too. The "global" ones that cover the cost of childbirth are about £1000 a month.

Wow. I doubt my husbands insurance will cover private maternity, but he's the new U.K. lead for an American company and they're trying to sort out what they can - so I guess there's a possibility it might be global. There will be lots of travel involved for him. Maybe it might cover a few costs.

After a discussion last night I'm look at the consultant-led normal delivery at either Lindo or QC (planning to pay out of pocket without insurance) if everything goes ahead with no health problems. The base fees are obviously quite low (£5k - £6k). Does anyone have an estimation of how much the consultant fees & scanning unit fees are? It says billed separately. Most people are saying to save between £20k & £30k. £20k is possible for us but I wonder if it would be possible to aim for around £12k with a late transfer to private from NHS & have the rest saved in case of complications and extra nights.

Again, thanks for all your comments it's really helping me!

I put the costs in the earlier post:

Doctors fees: between £8-10k depending on when you have care from.
Normal delivery hospital fees: £6100
C-section hospital fees: £8k
Aenthatist (if needed): around £2k
If you need a c-section then budget for 4 nights in hospital so that's an extra £3600.'

Prices above are for Lindo. QC is a little cheaper but not by that much. Maybe cost you a couple of grand less

Did this recently. Was around 30k all in, including all the scans/ blood tests/ etc, and monitoring that I needed every other day towards the end of my pregnancy (£200 per time). Was worth it judging by friends’ recent NHS experiences. Don’t expect luxury though- the rooms are still just hospital rooms and the tea is very overrated!

@Bells3032

I put the costs in the earlier post:

Doctors fees: between £8-10k depending on when you have care from.
Normal delivery hospital fees: £6100
C-section hospital fees: £8k
Aenthatist (if needed): around £2k
If you need a c-section then budget for 4 nights in hospital so that's an extra £3600.'

Thank you! :)

If you want it a bit cheaper and you're perfectly healthy consider a midwife led package at the QC. Reckon that will come out at about £12k

@Rainbow123456789 congratulations! I’d agree with cherry and bells, if it’s something you’ll need to save up for it might not be best, especially as people normally save for a reduced salary on mat leave (unless you’ve got a good scheme at work) plus all the other costs for things that babies need. We might have number 2 next year if we’re able and already have the cash for it if necessary. I suppose you’ll know whether it’s feasible to save £25k ish during the course of your pregnancy.

@buntybanana your late package is pretty much what I would have done at 38 weeks- if possible I’d call your hospitals and just check if they can provide costs for different weeks as SW1amp says above. I left my call to the Portland very late and though they’d take me, wouldn’t recommend leaving it so last minute x

Hi everyone! Thanks for replying, I think I’ve found a good middle ground that will work for us. We haven’t enquired yet but it’s Private midwife, same midwife from start to finish, support for what we choose to do, antenatal care, support through either hospital birth or home birth and postnatal care and max £7k which I think is a much realistic option for us :)

I mean if money's not object then go for it🤷🏻‍♀️I had my baby boy in june nhs. I had nice enough experience. Went to be induced, already 6 cm and my boy was delivered 5 hours later with gas and air. The midwifes stayed with me throughout the labour, lead nurse checked in every now and then. There was a concern about the babies heart beat at one point so the midwife pulled the emergency buzzer and around 6 people came flying onto the room so clearly there was staff there to assist. Only the dr was needed in the end.I did get delayed going to the post natal ward as they were short staffed but it suited me fine as husband could stay with me. I was out by 3pm the next day so for me I feel it would have been a bit of a waste of money. The postnatal ward is a bit grim but tbh I don't think I would have slept anywhere are I was full of excitement and adrenaline😄

Having done it both ways I would say private all the way!!