London Private C Section

[Esmerelda10189]

Hi All, I am currently pregnant with my second baby and am considering which consultant/hospital to go to in London. My first baby died at a day old following medical negligence during labour in a hospital outside London. I ended up having an emergency c section with my first baby and my next is due with only 15 months in between.
I have been advised to have an elective c section and would like to go privately as I have no faith or trust in the NHS anymore.
Does anyone have any recent recommendations for consultants and/or private hospitals? I have been considering Jasmine Tay and Bryony Jones at QCCH private wing but am just really looking for the most thorough and caring person in the best possible place.
Thank you.

No advice but I’m so very sorry for your loss, and wishing you all the best with the upcoming arrival, take care xx

No advice either here but just want to share how sorry I am for your loss. I hope that you find an obstetrician soon and feel safe and well cared for throughout your pregnancy and birth. Best of luck x

Last I checked Portland Street was approx £10k but if there were complications during / after pregnancy you need to be prepared to go into NHS. Another alternative, if possible, is to use a private obs / midwife and then in the last month of pregnancy temporarily move somewhere you can buy top notch private maternity care that doesn’t refer to state - India(particularly Mumbai) is well regarded in this area. One of my cousins did this and paid £15k all in for private consultants / midwives / scans in the UK & a 2 mth stay at one of the best hospitals in India (it included 3 weeks post partum at the Taj where her consultant visited her everyday).

So sorry about what happened.

Not up to date (nearly a decade ago) but I looked at a private c-section for DC2 after very poor/unsafe care when I gave birth to DC1.

I would have chosen UCH but in the end had an elective c-section there on the NHS. I did book a private room for after the birth and was discharged after 24 hours.

https://www.uclhprivatehealthcare.co.uk/services/maternity

it was a positive experience and I felt safe and looked after.

A friend went to the Portland and was happy with her c-section there.

Yes I know quite a few people who have had c sections at the Portland and all had really positive experiences. Couldn’t tell you the name of any individual obstetricians though, sorry. I think costs are closer to £20k all in. It’s around £8600 for c section delivery plus up to an additional £12k for the obstetrician (including routine antenatal appointments, delivery and 6 week check) plus additional anaesthetic consultant fees.

I looked into it last year as we were moving to a place with a poor reputation and I was worried, but the care I received in the NHS was wonderful as staffing was adequate.

https://www.hcahealthcare.co.uk/-/media/pdfs/maternity/consultant-led-prices-2024---tph.pdf

https://www.hcahealthcare.co.uk/our-services/specialties/maternity-care/packages-and-prices

Just be aware that private hospitals do not always have the resources needed if a baby requires a high level of care following the birth, I know two people who had their babies blue lighted from their private hospital to an nhs one, thankfully both were ok. I personally wouldn't give birth anywhere without a high level neonatal intensive care unit just in case, and in your situation even more so. A private wing of an bhs hospital may be a better option

I’m so sorry for your loss.
I have recently been considering private care for an elective c section. I have read many threads and so many say to go to a private suite in a hospital with a good nicu. In London I was considering St Mary’s Lindo, Chelsea & Westminster Kensington suite. (Gave birth to my first at St Thomas Westminster suite and it was ok but had a traumatic birth and want something different this time).

If I go private, I was really interested in Chrissy Yu and Etienne Horner who both deliver at Lindo or Portland. They came at high recommendations from my neighborhood mummy group… especially Chrissy.
At UCH or Portland, you’ll also find Pat O’Brien who is supposed to be top and great bedside manner. I’ve been to Harley Centre for Women to see the consultant sonographer privately Prof Pandya (who works with Pat O) and he had been amazing:

I’m so sorry for your loss. My first baby also died so I understand some of your anxiety around this pregnancy/ giving birth.

Not private but I had 2 subsequent c sections at St Thomas’. My consultant throughout pregnancy was Dr Nanda and she was FANTASTIC. She got to know me and reassured me throughout (I had weekly appts). If she does private care (they have a private maternity suite, I think on the 12th floor), I would seriously consider it. They also have a very good nicu in case your baby needs any support after birth. I had neonatal teams at both of my subsequent deliveries.

Thank you all. The reason I was thinking of the private Stanley Clayton wing at QCCH is because the hospital has a level 3 NICU, like St Thomas, but QCCH has higher CQC ratings than St Thomas. I considered the Lindo wing too but St Marys only has a level 2 LNU so does not care for the sickest babies and I want the neonatal back up immediately available just in case. I appreciate it will be expensive but we are prepared for that. Thank you for the recommendation of Dr Nanda. Does anyone have any other recent experiences of exceptional consultants?

One thing to bear in mind is that even if the hospital you choose has a higher level NICU, if all the cots are full on the day you deliver your baby could have to be transferred elsewhere anyway. Someone I know chose Bristol for more specialist care in close proximity but her child was deemed insufficiently ill to be at the unit in that city and was transferred back to Gloucester, closer to their Cheltenham home.

I’ve been in touch with Jasmine Tay recently for a birth in June 24, if all goes to plan. Cannot fully recommend as am only in the initial stages but have had a very positive first impression. I’m sorry about your loss and wish you the best with this pregnancy and birth.

Thank you. I would rather be in a hospital with the highest level care in case of an emergency, then have to be moved to lower level if the baby is not very sick, rather than the other way round. If I had been in a hospital with a NICU or a neonatal a doctor even(!) my first baby would have had a much better chance!

I am so sorry for what You went thru.
I have had my first section over two years ago at the Lindo and I am scheduled to have my second one there soon.

As I have been informed currently all the sections are done in the presence of consultant neonatologist which wasn’t the case with my first.
Maybe that will make You feel more at ease when choosing.

Wishing You all the best in whatever You decide x

Also with Lindo only You are the private patient.
As soon as baby is born is entitled to NHS care.

Thank you. That is useful to know about the Lindo wing. May I ask, which consultant are you under?

I am under Tariq Miskry.
I have extreme fear of birth to the point it took me 10 years to even consider getting pregnant but this doctor is honestly an angel.
Before I gotten pregnant I have booked an appointment with him to see if he would be a good choice (tells You just how extreme my phobia is), and I was pregnant month after seeing him- he put me at ease so much.
Maybe worth booking couple of consultants for consultation and see which one You click with the most. And than choose a hospital based on where they deliver?

Another vote for Tariq Miskry - he was my consultant for two Caesareans. One at the lindo and one at the Portland. I am grateful not to have needed specialist neonatal care and my heart goes out for you that you were so terribly let down. I cannot therefore comment on NICU at the Lindo. However, my experiences with Tariq M were wholly positive - he was brilliant throughout both pregnancies and I thoroughly appreciated both his calm and his charm (decent bedside manner is important, as well as technical prowess...I did meet a few quite gruff consultants along the way...)

Can't recommend Pat O'Brien enough. He's a brilliant doctor (I had serious complications - placenta accreta) he delivered baby safely without needing to do a hysterectomy.
He's got a brilliant bedside manner too. Very reassuring and positive attitude.
He delivers privately at The Portland and UCH private wing. I think The Portland have a pretty decent NICU nowadays but UCH definitely have a good one.

I’d suggest you look into the emergency care available for yourself as well as for the baby. I chose the Lindo over the Portland for that reason - this was nearly 10 years ago but if something went horribly wrong for the mother at the Portland, they had to be taken in an ambulance elsewhere. The Lindo has St Mary’s emergency care right there. I assume the C&W is the same but didn’t look into it for geographical reasons.

Things did in fact take a very sudden, unforeseeable, turn for the worse for me (cat 1 C section ‘immediate threat to life’ under general anaesthetic) and staff from St Mary’s came literally running into the Lindo to help the team and my consultant care for me, deliver the baby and stand by in case resus was required for either of us. I was very grateful for them and that I’d made the choice to be in a hospital with emergency facilities and staff!

What happened to me is incredibly rare, but it’s worth thinking about yourself as well as the baby so I’d recommend a wing attached to a major hospital.

My consultant has retired now unfortunately, but his emergency cover was Lorin Lakasing who seemed highly competent and, from a quick Google, looks to be still practicing.

I was booked under Dr Jones for my last pregnancy. had a few appts with her and she seemed great and i had a lot of confidence with her. She had come recommended from a family friend who was a recently retired obstetrician. So i knew i was in good hands. The hospital was lovely. unfortunately my daughter arrived early and in a bit of a rush so i didn't make it to QC but gave birth in the local hospital. During my stay there i was scared and confused what was happening and she rung me several times and talked me through things (nhs communication is shite). didn't charge me a penny for this either and it was over christmas and during covid too. i'd really reccomend her.

I highly recommend Dr Eugene Oteng-Ntim from St Thomas' hospital - his level of care was exceptional, always happy to answer questions via the phone or messages and very patient and calming. We had experienced a few bleeds throughout the pregnancy and I contacted Dr Eugene each time who asked me to come into the hospital and made the necessary arrangements with the midwifes to get my checked out and also personally coming to see me to provide reassurance. Our C-section went very well (despite there being a last minute change of date due to complication arising - it was bought forward by 2 weeks) and everyone who has seen the scar have commented on how small it is.

The post natal care was great. The team of midwives at St Thomas are fantastic also, they were so caring toward me and the baby - they even helped me express colostrum with a syringe for the baby and helped massaged my breasts when my milk ducts were blocked. We are having a second child and are going with Dr Eugene again as we have full trust in him.

St Thomas' is great, any emergency the NHS team is right there with the Evelina children's hospital literally part of it.

I do agree with the posters above though regarding speaking with a few consultants to see who you are comfortable with, we spoke to a few consultants before deciding on Dr Eugene. Also check whether they will be on holidays around your due date time.

So sorry for your loss OP, the one thing I would say is given your history you would most likely be consultant led on the NHS which is similar in terms of care to private. If you do decide to go private Chelsea and Westminster have a very good private wing with the nhs NICU next door so would be there if you needed it. A lot of the consultants there work both private and NHS. I’ve heard very good things about Charlotte Deans at C and W(does private and NHS) who’s speciality is Maternal mental health so she might suit you well. Wishing you all the best for the rest of your pregnancy and birth x

Sorry for your loss OP. Hope i am not too late. I had a high risk pregnancy and transferred late to QCCH from Scotland last year. I had Dr Tay. I cannot recommend her or the stanley clayton ward enough. I had initially wanted to go to the Portland but due to risks for both dd and me, I was advised to go for QCCH for the reasons you outline above. I had a c section, i healed extremely quickly. Dr Tay put me at ease, she was extremely accomodating with fitting in appointment and scan times around what suited me and my trains, she was always available for me to contact with questions and concerns. Absolutely superb experience. Happy to answer any questions you have.

@mondaymondaybluey Hi there! I know this thread is a bit old but I’d love to hear about your experience with Prof. Oteng-Ntim. I’m deciding between him and another OBGYN for my maternity care and delivery. I’m looking for someone who is not only an excellent all-round OBGYN but also has exceptional surgical skills in case a vaginal delivery becomes complicated or an emergency C-section is needed. I’d also really appreciate hearing about your recovery experience from a C-section. Thanks so much in advance!

I used Tariq Miskry and the Lindo Wing a few years ago for an elective c-section for my first baby. He was wonderful.

The advice and care I received was incredible. I felt very safe and knew my baby was safe.

I would suggest having a private midwife and private follow up care as the mix and match of private and nhs wasn’t seamless.

There are some extra costs like blood works and scans but nothing shocking.

I am very sorry for your loss 💜

Who was your consultant at st thomas if I may ask pls?