Private room hire at hospitals?

[MummyPiggy87]

I've only just heard of this, is this possible? I'm not due for 5 months but am planning on having a ELCS and having a EMCS last time. I hated being on the ward for three days and someone mentioned hiring a room?!
I live in Southend on sea I'm not sure if each hospital is different, has anyone else done this and how much was it please?

I'm planning on getting a private room if there's one available (I hate wards at the best of times, let alone when newly delivered with a tiny baby). Here (Manchester) they apparently cost £70 a night. You could try looking up your hospital on the Which website, they generally have some good info on there :)

Have you googled the local hospitals, that will tell you what type of service they offer. I'm going to a hospital a bit further away because it has a seperate maternity unit that is solely private rooms and no wards. It's LDRP and husbands/partners are encouraged to stay as every rooms has a bathroom. Not sure of the cost because there isn't any other option they don't charge.

The other hospital is all wards and I couldn't think of anything worse tbh.

I had one many years ago (Manchester) I think it depends as said if one is available. You could ask next time you have a scan at the hospital.
Or ring the maternity part of the hospital and ask if they have private rooms

Brill thank you both, I will look into both of them! Glad I'm not the only one, I felt like abit of a snob but last time it was annoying when you get your baby to sleep and another baby cries..

I just googled my hospital and private maternity rooms, unfortunately they don't have them in my local but a larger hospital might.

Some do, but if someone is in need of a room they might bump you out, so worth checking what the policy it is and how much they cost (my hospital last time didn't refund if there were no rooms available). Of course that depends on who else is in and what's happened during their birth.

My nearest hospital is Southend and then there's Basildon which has a very bad reputation. I've looked all over Google and can't find any info about their private rooms, maybe they don't have any :-(
I don't know who to call? The maternity ward?

Thank you abbey that's good to know x

Just a tip if you're having an elective... They may want to keep you on the open ward for the first 24 hours for easier observation. I had to do that when I had mine. I could then pay for the private room - but only if it's free. Just because you request it it may not mean you actually get it! Check what their ward policy is

Southend doesn't seem to have private rooms, unfortunately - see here. Neither does Basildon though! :(

Oh yes, what Woof said is what happened to me to with an emcs. I had to be on the ward until I was disconnected from everything so they can observe / help. Then I was moved to a private room once I was up and about. I was given one though because I was in a while (EMCS and premature baby) so didn't have to pay

The two hospitals I gave birth in both had private rooms, but they were popular and you couldn't book in advance so you had no chance of getting one unless you gave birth just as the person occupying it left!

Ah, what a shame
I will contact them just in case though.
I guess being in the ward for a day won't hurt, it does make sense!

Hi mummy I'm at Southend too. They're ensuite rooms are £80 per night but they're on a priority basis and can only be requested the day you go into hospital.

*their

It's £150 a night at our local hospital in Cambridge

I asked about this at my antenatal appointment this morning, £170 a night where I live ... Nearly fell off the chair!

Mine does- got one the first time but they were all taken the second.
Good value IMO but you can't count on it.
Some hospitals have single rooms for all though!

I'm at Southend and hoping to hire a private room- I'm sure I was told they do have some available that you request on the day on a first come, first serve basis. I'm 37 weeks now so will let you know!

Cool, thanks Mrs and Tranquility I didn't think I would find any Southenders on here! I put a post up on fb and was told that if you have a csection your now discharged the next day without any pain relief, just injections to stick in your belly to prevent blood clots!! Really looking forward to that then better stock up on painkillers!

I had a private room at the John Radcliffe in Oxford a number of years ago. 250 per night. I really dont know why people are so surprised at the cost. It only generally happens a couple of times in life and for me it was money well spent.

Why do people think it's the NHS so either free or very low cost.

St Thomas's in London is £950 a night (!!!)

Ask at your chosen hospital. At my local, private rooms can be paid for if available on your admission to the ward (i.e you couldn't reserve one). In 2010 it was about £70 a night IIRC but you could only pay one night at a time; if another patient was admitted the next day whose need for a private room was able to be granted on the NHS, they got priority.

Just to add, this is on a standard maternity ward. There is no designated 'private wing' or even fancy rooms that they use for private patients. Just a bog standard NHS single room, for which you pay a premium fee if you want it rather than being allocated a standard ward bed.

I never even made it to the ward,

planned an ELCS (previous EMCS for breech) , waters broke 2 days before it was booked, had a VBAC, went home after 6 hours.

So be aware you can plan all you like, but the little darlings can throw a spanner in the works anyhow....