Private vs. NHS

[TransatlanticCityGirl]

I recently visited my SIL in hospital after she had given birth. Even though this was a brand spanking new hospital, I was absolutely horrified and I'm now considering going private.

Does anyone have any experience with both private and NHS?

My main concerns at this hospital were:

• they told her they didn't have any beds available when she arrived (they finally found one, thank God)
• she had to stay in a room shared with 3 others (and their screaming babies) for the duration of her stay so no sleep for 5 days
• there was no natural light on her side of the room
• the nurses were horrible and patronising the way the spoke to the new mothers
• The father could only be with her between 10am-8pm

My other concern about NHS is that I want to be sure an epidural will be available to me if I want it.

I'm also worried about pre-natal care, as when I read information from websites & books from outside the UK the care offered seems a lot more comprehensive. I'm not sure if I should also upgrade my pre-natal care too.

Thoughts?

I would second greebeanie by saying that private does not necessarily guarantee better quality of care (though you do get more time at consultations). I see my NHS consultants for no more than 15-20 mins each time but they are very thorough and I am amazed they remember our previous conversations. They always give me the opportunity to ask questions or raise concerns.

If you decide to go a non-NHS private facility, ask them about what happens in the event you need a transfusion urgently (my understanding is that quick access to blood can be a problem in private hospitals (prob outside of London though).

I think someone else may have suggested this - maybe look into private midwife or post-natal doula also.

Sh77, I am so sorry to hear what happened to you! This is an unbelieavbly sad and truly awful experience to live through. I wish you the best possible pregnancy and delivery, and healthy baby!

I just want to echo what other posters have said about private vs NHS. I have a friend who has had several stays in the local privately run hospital for various bowel operations. After one of her operations went badly wrong she was rushed to an NHS hospital by ambulance. She said that the medical care there was better than the care she got in the private hospital.

She also says that the main difference is that the food is better and you get a room to yourself when you go private. The downside is that the nurses have several different individual rooms to look after and sometimes she has had to wait ages for a nurse. Also a private room can be very lonely.

To the American poster

I have heard that ante-natal care is very different in the US and getting used to the idea that it is mainly midwife led in the UK might seem alien. I can honestly assure you that an experienced midwife is more likey to give you better care than an obstetrician. Obstetricians tend to get called in to deal with high risk complicated pregnancies not the day to day stuff that can be more than competently handled by a midwife.

I am now pregnant with my 2nd, and I'm torn on this same issue. My concern is not so much with quality of food or the room, but with how the NHS compares to other systems. I am American, and I understand that the "medicalisation of birth" is seen as a bad thing here. But, I think people here need to re-consider that position. Women and babies don't die in childbirth like they used to!

My first-born would have been a planned C-section anywhere else (two ob/gyn friends in the US and one in a third world country confirmed this). But because of the emphasis on a vaginal birth here, that was never discussed as an option, and we both had a horrible vaginal birth instead with consequences post-birth.

Sadly, my private insurance does not cover maternity services, so I don't have too much of a choice. The only thing that is making me feel somewhat better the second time around is that my pregnancy is classified as high risk, so I am at least hopeful that I will be getting somewhat better care throughout.

I do not agree with a lot of posters here who claim that the US system is overmedicalized (not sure what statistical reference has been used to make this conclusion). However, it does offer high quality of medical care which is not considered a luxury, contrary to this country... My husband is American and we have a lot of friends and family in America, and almost everyone we know had viginal deliveries. On the contrary, I had a few colleagues here in the UK, who had multiple elective c-sections (out of convenience) and due to a desire to be back in business quickly...

I'm in work so not much chance to research it but I remember reading (in the last 6 weeks or so) an evidence-based article which tied in the over-medicalised nature of childbirth in the US with high maternal and infant mortality rate there (high in comparison to other developed countries). This is a really interesting thread and I'll do my best to dig up that article if I get a sec.

That's very interesting... I would be curious to know which states/cities have highest mortality rates (perhaps, demographics and socio-environment has an impact on these). At the end of the day, it really depends on how and where the statistical sample was taken... An american friend of mine pointed out that many american working moms opt for elective c-sections as these offer much predictability a standard maternity leave in the US is only 12 weeks one really does not get that much time with her new born... We are much more fortunate on that front here.

US medical care IS overmedicalised. In a system where its financially lucrative to offer every test to a patient, even where some of those tests carry a risk that is greater than any potential benefit, then that will always be the case.

As regards c-section vs 'natural', given a choice I would always go for the natural - a c-section is major surgery and carries those risks for both mother and baby. Risks from a natural delivery, however unpleasant, are not as high.

I had superb care from the NHS for both my children - both different hospitals, one IUGR (scans fortnightly, consultant lead care, induced labour) the other low risk and not induced.