Private ELCS London/Essex

[jamtomorrow1]

Hello all,

We are likely to be down in Cornwall by my due date and I am concerned about the prospects of securing agreement to an ELCS on grounds of anxiety/tokophobia, so I am checking out my private options.

Can anyone recommend private options in London/Essex? What sort of cost are you looking at if you pretty much parachute in for an ELCS and aftercare and otherwise use the NHS? Is that even possible? I have been looking at various hospital websites and the numbers are extremely vague. I appreciate that you can't anticipate exactly what sort of care you will need but it would be really useful to have an idea of what you would pay in consultant's fees, hospital fees and anything else. I am not bothered about luxurious surroundings, I would just be far less anxious if I knew that I have a definite option if the NHS decline to play ball...

Thanks very much

Fingers crossed you'll be able to get the birth option you need on the grounds of mental health reasons (anxiety), which should be as valid a reason as physical health reasons.

I'm afraid I can't advise on private options in London area, but hopefully someone will be along soon who can. I know it costs the nhs around £800 extra for an elcs rather than a VB (provided the VB doesn't end up in theatre, in which case the costs for that would be higher I imagine). But it's obv much more than that to go private, for whatever birth type I'd imagine. I'm sure plenty of people who be willing to pay the nhs the additional £800 if it was an option.

Good luck with keeping your anxiety under control in the meantime - I know how difficult it is! :)

The only fully private hospital providing ELCS is the Portland. Alternatives are the Lindo at Paddington and St. Thomas's. The latter two are a good option if you're self paying and don't have j durance as if your baby needs nicu/SCBU, they are treated as an nhs patient and you don't get a bill.

Portland Scbu is £4k a night which can sting a bit...

Thanks very much to you both. It would be very useful to hear from people with personal experience of the various private options - I know which hospitals have private wings but it is very difficult to work out the advantages and disadvantages of each one, and the costs! My health insurance won't cover anything maternity-related in general terms with the exception, possibly, of a CS where there is 'clinical need', whatever that means. Will be raising that with a consultant in due course!

I've had all 3 of mine privately, by ELCS. First thing is, if your insurance covers CS in medical need then you're fine as malposition is an indication for CS so long as your (private) consultant agrees.

So, pick a hospital that offers private care, then find a consultant and make a private appointment to talk it through. The costs quoted for self pay will be different to what your insurer pays. Get as much pre agreed as poss and find out what isn't covered.

Good luck

UCH have a private elcs service for about £7k all in, slightly cheaper than private hospitals such as the Portland.

Is there anyway you could get your ELCS on the NHS? I did, a few years ago (I had to argue for it, and had to be assessed by a mental health team, but I did get it.) As I understand, NICE rules now state that you should be allowed to have one if you want one. (They didn't when I had my child.) NICE rules aren't legally binding, but they are taken seriously. Have you talked to a consultant about the option?

That is very useful stuff about insurance - I will definitely check that out.

I have spoken to a private clinic and have been told that the consultant doesn't offer ELCS without jumping through exactly the same hoops as the NHS with seeing a counsellor who tries to talk you out of it etc. Is this standard even when paying privately? I had kind of thought that I would not have to go through the anxiety of trying to convince someone that I am anxious if I paid them! Possibly this is naive....

Ner, that seems like an odd approach. Find a different consultant.

Btw I had parallel care via the nhs and saw the counsellor who was also a senior midwife and her role wasnt to talk me out of it, it was to ensure I was making an informed choice and she was happy to refer me. Don't write off the counselling process. I suppose from an ethical POV they have to show you're being fully informed but in reality you absolutely have more choice all round, privately.

Is Watford a bit far for you? www.thebirthteam.com Highly recommend.