How much is an nhs private room?

[pumpkinsweetie]

Due to have baby no5 in less than 2 months and thinking of asking for a private room if one is available.

Never considered it with my other dc, but with dd4 my curtains were constantly being opened by mws whilst i was trying to breastfeed making me feel very uncomfortable as there were visitors there for other mums & it was my first time breastfeeding so wasn't at all confident in doing so around men especially
Luckily a couple come and closed them for me as they could see me blushing one time but i was very angry the mws devalued my privacy!

I was also on a ward with 4 c-section mums, complaining of pain & getting painkillers whilst i was left with nothing through my excruicating after pains that i had with having had my 4th baby & the ladies babies were all night cryers, poor mums had to buzz for help as they were still bed bound.

How much money roughly do these cost ? Not exactly rich so a good idea would be helpful, tia

Hi I believe it's about £100 per night from what I've heard from friends. Apparently if there's none available at the time you can't have one even if you've booked

In my hosp it was £80 per night for a private room but you couldn't book in advance or anything - just had to ask when you were there & could have a side room if one was free. I was lucky & got one for my second night (first on ward was horrendous like you describe) and am still waiting for them to send the bill (dd born July 2012!)

Do you only have the choice of 1 hospital? My local hospital only has private ensuite rooms in the maternity unit, I'd be looking further afield if this wasn't the case.

I asked for (and got) a private room when I had DS - I said at the time I was happy to pay for it and was told 'they hardly ever actually bill you' - this was in 2006 and like Sdaisy I am still to get a bill! But I don't think I could have booked it in advance.

A room on the private ward in st Thomas's in Westminster is about £650 a night

In our local NHS hosp the private rooms (4 in total) are called amenity beds. It's £120 for the ensuite double and your DH/P is allowed to stay. The other three rooms are £60 and are standard side rooms.

Like others have said you have to request them post delivery and can only have one if the are available. I will be requesting the double and hoping for the best.

All the info was in the NHS trust website, might be worth looking there!

I got one for free. Didn't ask for it. Hospital was v busy and I guess it was all that was left.

Second time round I had a homebirth though so was guaranteed a free private room! With ensuite and decent coffee available!

I paid£180, they took my card details, only asked because I had to stay the night before dd was born and was desperate for a good nights sleep.

Although I went in there at 7pm, then waters broke at 9pm, was taken to delivery suite until 5am when I returned with dd. they cleared my room but I still got charged! Never did get that good nights sleep!

But, you can't book in advance as they are often used in difficult circumstances.

Marking my place as I am hoping to boom a private room too.

Thankyou everyone, homebirth isn't possible for me (bmi 37).
My hospital is in the South of Kent, i will ask for one should i need it after the birth as like you say it won't be bookable, loving the fact i may never be billed for it !

Was hoping to go home within 6 hours of birth but considering with my last 4 i ended up in from between 1 & 2 days i suspect it will be the same this time. Was mostly down to peads not being available to check over baby

I was told it was £160 a night but I was never billed for it although a friend staying in the same ward was billed. The room was lovely, like a hotel room, but dh could not stay overnight. I definitely think it's worth it to get some peace and quiet after the birth.

I had no idea you could do this! I thought you just got what you're given.

It depends on where you are. Ours makes you pay for 3 or 4 nights up front which is somewhere in the region of 450 and they redund you what you don't use....unless you end up being in there a week because you baby is ill....that certainly cost us a small fortune.

I asked for a private room after I'd had my DD and was more than willing to pay for it but the hospital was so busy that there were none available. There wasn't even a bed for me on the postnatal ward at first so I stayed on the labour ward until a bed became available for me (DD was about 12 hours old at this point!)

I don't drive penbury so i'm unfortunetly stuck with my local hospital which is 15 mins away by cab. Looked on their website but cannot find out anything about private rooms. It is the Qeqm in margate

I meant charlie sorry x

St Thomas' offer NHS patients postnatal care on the private Westminster Maternity Suite for £950 per night

Flip! You could have a nice room in Claridges for that!

Jeez something could have a holiday for that

TheGatheringDark, that is so rude to draw your curtains back. The nerve of some people!

I spent one night on the post natal ward at st Thomas' and another night on the private ward and it was absolutely the best money I have ever spent. We had discussed it pre birth and agreed it was too expensive but I was very poorly after I had my baby and the pn ward was a nightmare for me so we (ahem, I) made the call to go private. The care was phenomenal - they taught me to breast feed, taught us to care for our daughter, let my husband stay on a camp bed in the room and looked after us all beautifully and sensitively. They also served incredible food!!

I paid £150 per night. (Epsom).

It was an okay room, they had nicer ones for £250 pn but didn't tell us until the day we left!

I swear by one. Hate wards.

Sounds lovely scottish if only my finances would stretch that far, the food is grim at my hospital. For breakfast it is either cereal or bread with butter & jam, no toast.
Lunch is dinner, a choice of few main meals such as cottage pie, but taste rank with jelly for pud or some odd tasting strawberry mousse thing. Dinner time is sandwiches
I tend to send dh off for outside food if i'm lucky that he hasn't gone home to help dm with dc or fetch nappies etc. To drink is tea/coffee when offered, or water from a jug (chlorine tasting)

The food i can deal with, it will only be a night or so but what i'm not looking forward to is being put on a full ward of c-section mums again with crying babys, gas & air & strong painkillers whereas i'm having afterpains (nearly as bad as labour) yet ignored! And my curtains being pulled back for fresh air whilst i try to breastfeed amongst tons of visitors, as it will really put me off breasfeeding if it happens again.
And i would also like some sleep if my baby allows before going home to my noisy household lol.