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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

Original poster

How much does it cost a private elective C-Section? Help!

90 replies

mar72 · 30/01/2009 12:45

Hi,

I'm considering having a private elective C-Section (London area).

This is for health reasons (private matters, sorry) and also because I've always been phobic of having a natural birth. Actually, this option has never crossed my mind.

The hospital where I'm having antenatal care is extremely disorganised, I don't like neither the midwife nor the consultant who are seeing me. The other two options in my area are far more scary and I'd never go to either of them.

I've read a few things about the Portland, the unit in St. Thomas Hospital and St. John's Hospital.

Ideally, I'd have the antenatal care provided by the NHS (as bad as it is) and would have the delivery and hospital stay only done privately.

Does anyone have an idea of how much it'd set me back?

Thanks in advance.

OP posts:
bracingair · 05/02/2009 22:06

congrats mar72 on your pregnancy. Sorry I cant help with any info, but i am watching with interest.

Feeltrapped how did you combine NHS & Private? That is something I would like to do but dont know how or which hospitals would do it.

I had a great dr in UCH and would love to have him privately. I dont know how though. I shudder at the idea of going to labour and being in the hands of whoever was on duty that night. My lovely dr wasnt on shift then, came to visit me afterwards, but never again could i take the risk of nasty midwife/bullish consultant. I want to know who will be there with me!!

Bubbaluv · 06/02/2009 07:41

I think it's worth calling C&W re combined care (NHS/Private) as apparently they now have more capacity on the private wing than patients. Where as you used to have to book before you conceived, they are now able to be much more flexi.
Worth a chat.

Bubbaluv · 06/02/2009 07:43

In fact I'm sure there was a lady in there talking to the widvives about last time I was in there for an apt. So if any of you are her, I was the uncomfortable/flustered looking blonde in the seat in the corner.

AtheneNoctua · 06/02/2009 13:17

Also, if you go to an NHS teaching hospital you will get two of everybody. You will get a senior consultant in there with a more junior one (who will perform the surgery). Two anaesthetists, and so on. Where if it had not been a teaching hospital you would get one average level surgeon.

I even got an extra doctor in the room because she wanted to inspect the placenta for some study. I told her she could do whatever she wanted with it so long as she promised not to show it to me.

Lotster · 06/02/2009 15:20

AngryPixie can you let me know which consultant at Kingston you had?

I'm seeing A.P. for my C/S, but he's away on hols for a week before my op so any info on his colleagues would be good in case I end up meeting them from going in to labour early!

thanks

Feeltrapped · 06/02/2009 17:25

Hi Bracingair

In answer to your question, I was just researching private c-sections when I discovered that they had a private maternity section at my NHS hospital.

When I rang them the lady gave me the name of the only consultant there that did NHS and private so I rang his secretary and made an appointment to see him (£225 so not cheap!). Basically I am only paying for a private delivery so all my ante and post natal care is completely as normal - to look at my notes you wouldn't even know I was paying - the only difference is that I see this particular consultant at my normal NHS appointments.

To be honest it is slightly frustrating to be paying the best part of £5k when I believe the additional cost for a c-section (to the vb I would be entitled to) is in the region of £700-£800 but I have chosen to do it after a lot of thought for my own peace of mind.

Like a lot of the ladies have pointed out, I am a lot happier giving birth in a NHS hospital as I know that the facilities are there if god forbid anything went wrong. I have checked with my consultant and the hospital and both have confirmed that if my stay was to be prolonged, both me and teh baby would be entitled to switch back to NHS care

Anyway good luck and if you want to know anything else, please give me a shout x

angrypixie · 06/02/2009 20:16

Lotster Is AP Andrew Pooley? If so he was my consultant and was simply wonderful. Can't help you with any others, sorry!

Lotster · 08/02/2009 11:51

Yes, good to hear another thumbs up for him. He is lovely, just hope things don't start without him!

angrypixie · 08/02/2009 20:13

We dragged him in at 6.30am on a saturday morning when I went into labour a week before my planned c section, a bit more difficult if he is on holiday but I'm sure he'll leave you in safe hands.

Good luck

kiltycoldbum · 08/02/2009 20:18

mar youre not near northwick park are you? as i must admit if that was my hospital id cry. Watford General you can have nhs care and then be delivered privately they have a private ward etc though i dont know whether you can elect a csection yourself youd have to look into it. hope youre well.

BlameItOnTheBogey · 08/02/2009 20:24

Just a quick one to say that you need to bear in mind that the prices you see for private delivery can be deceptive. I had ds at St John and Lizzies and every extra night I spent there cost (I think) a thousand pounds. With a C section, this would really add up. It's easy just to look at the initial figures and think it might be affordable but the final bill can be a lot more with extras. (We were lucky because our insurance paid the bill but there's no way we could have afforded it - and the five night stay - otherwise).

Lotster · 09/02/2009 10:32

thanks AP

bracingair · 09/02/2009 21:01

thanks Feeltrapped. Do you mind me asking which hosp lets you combine private & NHS. Incidentally, I would much rather the c-section was NHS and the aftercare was private. The aftercare i got for a c-section on the nhs was abysmal.

BlameItOnTheBogey i am so impressed you found an insurance that covers natural birth. What one is that?

Thanks! And sorry mar72 for hijack. By the way, if you have bupa ins they cover c-sections for medical reasons which afaik can include 'mental' reasons

Original poster
mar72 · 10/02/2009 10:48

Hi, Everyone

Sorry for my absence, it's been quite busy here.

Thanks for all the lovely answers, you're all very helpful.

I'm London based and my hospital is...(OK, stay calm), University College Hospital. So, please, if you have anything negative to say about it, don't say it :P

My health insurance is Cigna (excellent) and only covers "complications" during pregnancy, ie, if I had a problematic pregnancy which, so far, hasn't proven to be although I'm already of a certain age (36, baby will be born when I'm 37).

I'll try to find out whether UCH has a private maternity ward, if not, a private consultant.

Thanks to all again

OP posts:
BlameItOnTheBogey · 10/02/2009 10:59

Bracingair - just seen your question. We have American international insurance. I think they are pretty much the only ones who cover you for private delivery in a normal pregnancy.

bracingair · 10/02/2009 13:23

ah, i thought it would be american! Bupa international gives £5k per year towards birth, but would not cover a full private hospital birth. I presume american insurance is much ecpensive - about £5 a year? And is only for americans?

Wheelybug · 10/02/2009 13:34

Lotster - I am having DC2 at Kingston (NHS though although did consider the Coombe Wing when DH was in there for a few weeks last September !). With dd I had the misfortune to meet a few consultants (misfortune as my circumstances weren't good) and all those I came across were fantastic.

I am under Kate Panter and was last time although she appears to be on some sort of sabatical as although she has patients assigned to her 'she is not there'. I have seen her during trips to the New Victoria with DH so asusme she is still doing private work. I would highly recommend her.

I actually had my c-sec done last time by a then registrar, Meena Shankar, who is now a consultant. She was brilliant !

Also had a fair bit of dealing with Carl Chow who was also good (although didn't really have any medical treatment from him as such but he made me feel reassured !).

Hope that helps.

littlefrog · 10/02/2009 13:38

UCH is fab! And apparently the new building is really lovely (friend just had baby there a week ago). I know loads of people who've delivered there, and even though things haven't gone smoothly for everyone, none of them have had a bad thing to say about it. And fantastic medically: if you had problems at the Portland they'd send you straight to UCH.

pooka · 10/02/2009 13:47

I've heard nothing bad of UCH.

WRT aftercare - I had a straightforward delivery with dd and still had a private amenity room. Asked after she was born if there was one free, and there was, so got it.

BUt I would have been bumped out of it if there was anyone with multiple birth/c-section who wanted it. Fair enough.

IN the end I think I rather missed out on being in the ward - my friend (who has had 2 planned c-sections) really enjoyed the ward afterwards I think.

mum23monkeys · 10/02/2009 14:38

Mar72 - a friend had her first in the Portland and had a dreadful time. Had her second in UCH, normal NHS stuff, and it was fabulous. You don't get menus given out to your guests when they arrive to visit, nor complimentary notices of the birth put in the broadsheets, but your baby will get delivered professionally and safely. She couldn't fault it.

bracingair · 10/02/2009 22:21

mar72 just noticed you are in UCH. Ive been there and in tems of labour care and certainly care for your baby they are fabulous. My only poblem with them was the aftercare. Re midwives, i barely saw mine as i had most of my visits at my gp. I would try see if you can have a c-section on the NHS as it would be the same docs anyway and i cant see how the care during the c-section would be much difference. And then for the aftercare have a private room., aand so save your money for that (or for a night nurse!)

I think teh only prob might be that cant gurantee a private room, but perhaps a hospital with a mixture of private and nhs eg st marys or chelsea nad westminster would let you book a pirvate postnatal room in advance?

bracingair · 10/02/2009 22:22

sorry for spellings....was rushing!

saladsucks · 10/02/2009 22:30

Mar72 - I had a private C-section at Watford. You are in the NHS hospital, so all facilities there if required for the baby. Cost for private room £2.5k, plus £250 for epidural (required for C-section obviously). Consultant care was an additional £4.5k but he was worth every penny (my first baby suffered a serious injury at the hands of the NHS and I needed someone I could trust and he was amazing).

Lotster · 17/02/2009 11:44

Wheelybug, thanks so much for the info.

mehro · 11/04/2009 14:58

Feel trapped can you please let me know how you are managing the private c-sect for 5k only? How does one go about doing that...i.e switching from nhs to private at the last minute and paying only half the price? Evryone's telling me to go private but hospital + consultant charges add up to 10k at chel west and st mary's..i cant afford that !