Bupa Health Care

[LoveACuppaTea]

Sorry if this has already been mentioned before but I was wondering if anyone is PG and has bupa health cover? Just wondering what to do as I've only found out today I'm PG.

Thanks xx

I have a lot of friends who have had an excellent level of service giving birth on the NHS. I am also very proud of the NHS, my mother works VERY hard as a senior occupational therapist on pediatrics....and as a rule MOST of the healthcare professionals do their UPMOST to provide the highest level of care possible.

bemybebe- If you are willing to use this FREE service, please have more respect & faith in it....

Good luck with your pregnancy..

Leilababyno1 FREE it is not, neither to me, nor to you. I personally have paid a lot of taxes (a LOT) and actually have very little to do with the NHS, apart from A&E. I have no faith in the system and I have my own reasons as to why. I do not want to go into it. I have a lot of respect for individuals, but who you get (if at all) on the day is a lottery.

Unfortunately, there are no private facilities close to me. I have to go to London (over 1.5hr drive) and I prefer not to travel that far. I have considered going to other countries (Holland and Switzerland) to give birth, but this is not practical for me.

...well, correction, maybe it is free to you. Definitely not to me.

Hey I lived in Surrey for 12 years, had my daughter in Surrey - Kingston Hospital, they were very good at the time. Even had my own room. Although I had obstetric cholestatis so had to be very closely monitored and it was 11 years ago. .

Not taking it personally, just being careful about my wording. In that I wouldn't assume something. I was very careful so say it was a guess as thats all it was. And a lot of other countries would kill for our NHS. I think the world over people see pregnancy as something you choose to do as opposed to a medical condition you get, so people often do not see why additional support should be given when money is tight and could be used elsewhere. Not saying I agree in anyway whatsoever with that

I do always laugh when people say the care you get private is better than NHS - its the same consultants LOL. In fact if I went private and my cons was not also NHS I'd be concerneed.

I obviously am lucky enough to benefit from PMI as we get it via work - Tend to find private is a lot quicker and just a bit of a nicer environment thats all, and the consultants are able to spend more time with you of course.

Debbiecakes you just answered yourself: quicker, nicer, more time with the consultant. Dare I say, what i find the most important regarding my own birth - midwife coverage - is also different NHS vs private. I will be having a midwife just for myself. All that I need really.

bemybebe- Yes WE do pay taxes, and I am very proud of the national health service those taxes provide. Debbiecakes is right 'a lot of other countries would KILL for our NHS...

You said you have been to A&E...and who would you be thankful to then, if you needed help in an emergency- you would be thankful to THOSE doctors and THAT service.

As I said previously, if you are willing to use it- I really don't see the point in criticising it so much.

I hope that if you do choose to have your baby on the NHS, you have a positive and happy experience....best of luck!

Bemybebe - I wasn't aware I'd asked a question. I didn't say private was better, just a bit nicer thats all. I love being able to go privately but for me its ultimately a speed thing. The occasions I have had to use it have been situations where I (or DD) would have waited months on NHS and I am not going to deny it was fantastic to have that option.

And yes its great to be able to pick who and when I see someone, but still not saying its better. Just more convienient.

But remember for a lot of people its not a choice - many mums to be on here simply could not afford to go private, its great that you are lucky you can.

At the time I was more worried about having a healthy baby than whether I had the same midwife to be honest (but that was because of my OC - i'd have had the porter deliver her as long as she was healthy, OK maybe not..............) - but I am not knocking you for wanting that for yourself. Its a personal thing, I do believe anything which makes you less stressed during pregnancy is a good thing.

Although as my NHS midwive's surname was "Littlechild" I took that as a good omen

Being critical of services one pays for is not yet a sin and NHS is not a holy cow. I do not understand why you are coming down on me like a ton of bricks. Those countries who would kill are the ones who do not put reasonable or any money into their national health system. A lot of western European countries have similar or better national health service at a similar cost. This is not the topic of this thread.

The private insurance largely excludes maternity care because (I think ) it does not think it is important enough for their clients. NHS maternity care is patchy at best. It is widely accepted that midwife coverage in particular is low. I am not sure what did I say that was so distasteful.

OK, for the record, the only time I went to A&E was when I experienced severe bleeding (jeans soaked to my kneels with blood) with my current pregnancy. I went to A&E, waited for 2 hours, was seen by the nurse, waited for another 2.5 hours, was seen by a junior doctor who proclaimed that my cervix was open and I should go home and prepare to miscarry (as it is imminent). Several days later at my scheduled 12 week scan I was told that everything is great and the baby is doing just fine. After querying about 'the cervix' I was told my cervix is actually normal who had a mmc in October and the junior doctor was just inexperienced. I do not have any bitterness towards the doctor, just pissed off with myself that i actually went to A&E in the first place (they could not do anything about the bleeding anyway and it stopped a few hours later). Neither I am thankful btw.

This is a non-story actually, I can tell you plenty of other stories though.

Ok, I am going to sleep now. I wish everyone happy and healthy pregnancies and great births.

To those who are defensive of NHS, don't be. Any system needs a lot of attention if it is to perform its best. Chanting around it is not helping either NHS nor its patients. You sound a bit like old Soviet Union apparatchiks accusing people critical of the system to be the 'enemies of the state'.

Oh dear..I don't think we will find a common ground...

As I said previously, I wish you the best of luck in your pregnancy and do hope you have a happy and positive experience- whether NHS or private...

I am due in 3 weeks and very excited!

Good luck to you. Tell us how you get on. No hard feelings.

So giving my view is coming down on you "like a ton of bricks", but giving yours isn't. I thought forums were about giving a view

I haven't mentioned you are critical - just we have differeing opinions - also not a sin. And fairly sure I have not commented your views are distasteful

Sorry you feel that what but I am not. I am just putting my own thoughts across, in the same way you have. I think you are being over sensitive to my comments - which are in no way maliciously meant. As I said its great you have the choice, and I think its a good thing if its what you want. (the IM I mean)

I did not start the whole NHS better than private debate - you started quoting a lot of figures about how bad the NHS was. I merely said this was not my experience.

Also our reasons for using private are different, for you its about choice, for me its about convienience. Both equally important, but one is not better than the other.

I haven't said you were knocking the NHS, at all. But as you said it your own post to leilababyno1. "if you choose to have your baby NHS........" You made the statement highlighting you see a difference between the two. You feel the provisions are not good. I merely said I felt, from my own experiences, that this was not what I seen.

As I said its not always a choice for most people. You are lucky that you do have a choice

I think it would be fair to say people have had good and bad experiences of both NHS and private. And also of IM's or whoever you get on the night.

All I am saying is I do not think private is better - just nicer. And as I have said.... a few times..... I am in no way knocking your choice or your view.

It just differs from mine thats all. I was happy to have whichever midwife I got, you're not. Neither of our views are right or wrong, they are just right for us

I am sorry to had such a bad experience of A&E, personally I have had a mix of both good and bad. Same when I have gone private.

eep. seems i started something :S Sorry!!

debbiecakes thank you very much for your info! and to everyone else too! I will tell my GP I have Bupa and see what he says!

Thanks again! Muchly appreciated xx

Don't be sorry you asked a question, then the discussion got side tracked slightly happens alot on forums to be honest.

I can only speak from experience with NHS and have been happy with the care I have been given. There is always good and bad with everything adn people can only speak from personal experience. Expections with Private care are bound to be slightly higher due to handing over money either monthly via a plan or all at once. I am sure there are people out there who haven't had their expectations met with private care, it all depends how high your expectations are.

Anyway I'm sorry I just joined in the sidetrack.

Hope you get what you want and enjoy the rest of your pregnancy LoveACuppaTea.

Leila, you're being incredibly rude in telling the OP to pay more respect! We all pay towards the NHS, which although a tremendous service, has its shortcomings, on which all of us as service users, have the right to comment. By considering private care it can be argued that we lessen the burden on public services. And there is very little point in being defensive over criticism of the NHS - how can we make informed choices without all the relevant information?

As far as private maternity care is concerned,ost insurers offer limited cover because it's a gigot expensive and potentially litigious area, and also because it's very hard to predict the costs involved in each delivery - things can rapidly change from an uncomplicated delivery to a full c section.

I think the reason it's hard to get cover for private birth here in the UK is because there are so few private hospitals with maternity facilities. Most private hospitals offer scans and tests etc but don't have labour wards. It depends on where you live of course as there are some private maternity hospitals in London but here in Scotland, for example, there is just no private maternity hospital so even if you have BUPA insurance there's nowhere you can go to give birth on the private system. Maybe there are options to travel to a private maternity hospital in London or something if you have the right insurance package but that's not exactly ideal. I looked into this before I got pregnant because I've always been quite anxious about childbirth and the whole paternalistic 'you only get the pain relief we think you deserve' attitude that you get on the NHS, and there just aren't the facilities in most parts of the UK to offer childbirth options. Our local BUPA hospital offers scans and tests and some other gynae/obstetric procedures but not childbirth.

Since I had my MMC last year, I have been more reassured about the NHS since the care I got then was excellent and I had my own room and bathroom on the gynae ward and the hospital was immaculately clean. My biggest fear is giving birth in some dirty MRSA-infested hospital with no choice on pain relief and then dumped onto a shared ward afterwards to just get on with it It's frustrating not to have any choice on where you give birth.

BagofHolly- I have no problem with people considering private care, and healthy criticism of any national service is fair and expected- However, 'I' personally don't see the point in harping on about how awful the national health service is if you are willing to use it.

Do you really think that your tax 'contribution' pays for the NHS in its entirety?! For what most of us contribute, we 'generally' recieve an excellent level of care. In comparison to what it would cost if we were paying privately for the SAME consultant obstetrician or heart surgeon..

I am very thankful for our NHS, as I have had hands on experience of what it's like for others in this world who are not so fortunate.

Maybe I am bias as I come from a family of healthcare professionals who all worked for the NHS, and in fact dedicated their working life to this institution- when they could have made quadruple doing the same job privately!

Nothing I said to bemybebe was rude. In fact some may say the opposite.

I've not read the thread but I enquired about using my Bupa coverage to have an ELCS with my second pg. Unfortunately, none of the hospitals in my locality offered private births, even though it was medically necessary and was covered within my pollicy

In any event, ds came at 37 weeks all by himself and I had a VBAC. Although a lovely, comfortable private room would have been very nice

Pinkjenny -I'm due in 3 weeks at Kingston and although they have great ensuite rooms for the actual labour, the postnatal wards arn't the best....It would be lovely to have a 'private' room throughout, preferably with sky tv and a minibar!

Leilababyno1 I would like to hear about your experience in Kingston. I used to live in St Margarets and now near Guildford, so know this area well. I am currently booked with Royal Surrey. I have to say I am very exited about my long awaited baby and extremely anxious about the uncertainty of the birth itself (and honestly, I do not care about the minibar or the colour of the curtains, but I am very worried about how much midwife/anaes coverage I will get on the day).

I had some complications during my second pregnancy and these were covered by our health policy. the best thing to do is speak to a good broker who understands exactly what the policies cover. Much better than speaking to BUPA themselves because they tend to have a one-sided view. We used www.activequote.com and I spoke to a lady there called Ruth who was very very helpful

Message for Debbiecakes, as you work for Bupa.

Still confused about what is covered, if a consultant says a c-section is medically required, but can tell you this at say week 35 so it is not strictly a emergency on that day i assume from your posts that bupa will pay. But on the forums i see many references to BUPA only paying a certain amount and the rest (majority)having to be covered by the member can you shed any light on this or will they pay in full.

Further if you want a private opinion, normally you go to the gp then go to bupa get an authorisation number then go and see the consultant.

But say you go and see a consultant directly for a second opinion, I presume you would have to pay for that initial consultation yourself, if the consultant then decides you need a c-section, if you then contact bupa is it held against you?

I am in Bupa (not international) and have a planned CS booked due to placenta praevia.
Bupa would pay about £500 to the surgeon and about £300 to the anaesthetist if I chose to have this privately. I don't think that would cover their fees. I see no benefit going private in my case as I would have the same consultants and hopefully the same care in the same hospital.
Bupa will pay £250 per night stayed postnatally after CS of discretionary benefit. I will be claiming this and am hoping to use it to pay for an amenity room but know that isn't guaranteed.

As I thought, would leave a massive shortfall i think most private prices are in the region of £15K in london, even in a nhs hospital private wing.