7k fees for consultant - normal or excessive?

[emeraldgirl1]

Just investigating whether we can afford going privately for my first pregnancy. Dear GOD, it's pricey! Anyway have just been quoted 7k for a particular obstetrician at the C&W in London and that sounds like a bit more than others I've heard or elsewhere. I think my friend who had hers at the Portland paid more like 5k for the consultant, though the package at the Portland itself may have been more...

Is 7k utterly outrageous or pretty much par for the course?

"It's not just about nice sheets and posh bottled water"

And so what if it is!

Birth is very personal and its up to you to look to have the birth you want in an environment you feel comfy in and if all it comes down too is nice sheets, then so be it.

In my area even the hosps with good reps have sadly plumetted in standards in the past 5 years, your doing a very wise thing to look at all your options and I disgaree about horror birth stories too.

I have tokophobia and have been asking people about birth for a long long time, ie proactivley asking not just listening to the 5 out of 10 who decide to tell their horror story.

Saying that alot of births are fine - depend on how you judge fine really.....the mother or baby are still alive? A friend recently had forceps and is crawling on hands and knees, someone may judge that as fine and par for the course!

Good luck in your research and birth!

I briefly looked at private with DD and just wanted to ask whether you'd looked into the cost of the type of birth you'll end up having. I seem to remember fees increasing dramatically if you end up needing a C-section (something you may not know until half-way through labour, and you obviously can't refuse on cost grounds!).

We're with BUPA and they will pay for a scheduled C-section if one is recommended by (NHS) medical staff ahead of time. No other obstetric costs are covered though at all - normal I think for insurance in the UK.

I'd also look into an independent midwife/doula - much more affordable and they're there to fight your corner during pregnancy/labour if you don't feel that you're getting adequate attention.

This is normal. Plus hospital fees of £4k and nightly rate on top if you stay more than once (and bloods, scans etc - although my obs does my scans too at C&W which I find is brilliant for continuity of care).

ps a lot of C&W doctors will charge 7//7.5 regardless of delivery whereas others will charge less with an uplift if you end up with CS. with a CS your hospital fees will be higher - both per night and you will likely require a longer stay.

I am terrified of being made to give birth without epidural for this birth - my second - as everyone I know who's had second babies recently has been told they're too far along or that the anaesthetist is unavailable etc

That's my sole reason for considering going privately.

With that in mind, does anyone know how much a birth without consultant would cost? ie.having all my appointments with the NHS right up to the last few weeks?

I have to say, I am only 28 weeks, but I am also in Gloucestershire, and so far my care has been exceptional - here's to it continuing that way!

I don't know much about the fees but I know that their indemnity insurance can reach six figures per annum. The costs of negligence claims for birth related injuries are understandably large. So set in that context you can see how the 7k comes about.

I think Bupa will only pay for pregnancies if you have complications or have been recommended by a consultant. Otherwise, I think you're right that they will avoid paying if they can.

Portland do midwife led deliveries, much cheaper than cons led care, plus great aftercare.
Re insurance, they generally only pay if you need a cs and then only within policy limits. Also you need to check the inclusion of your child if you use the Portland as their SCBU is private and about £4k/night, which bumped our bill up hugely.
You can have all you ante natal on the NHS and just transfer for delivery, which brings the cost right down. Worth ringing around to talk to the cons' secretaries, as they know the fees better than the docs themselves.

Yes... Very standard. Mine was £6500 last year and then another £14,500 or so for the Portland. Worth every single penny and I'd do it all again in a heartbeat!

I'm paying 6.5k for a consultant at Kingston. The hospital costs are much lower than C&W or Portland, because you give birth in the NHS wing and spend first night there before moving up to the private wing. It's a general private wing, not a maternity wing. Looking at a minimum of 2k, so all in this is a cheaper private option than others.

5k for a consultant that delivers both at Portland and Lansdell suite at St.Thomas. I've chosen Lansdell as the hospital charges were lower than those at Portland. Still budgeting c.13-15K with all the extras. Unfortunately, our BUPA insurance covers zero :(