Cheapest private maternity care in the UK?

[silverturtle]

Hello all,

I wonder what is the cheapest option for the private antenatal care + delivery in the UK?
It looks like I don't have free access to the NHS, so exploring alternative options currently. I am not very comfortable with paid-for NHS option, as it basically means signing an open cheque.
So far I found a full care package (midwife-led) for ~£8K - does this seem realistic, or too low and there will be extra charges?

Thank you very much xxx

Private is also signing an open cheque, technically. If you have to have an EMCS, etc, you will be charged on top of a basic package.

KimchiLaLa
I see. I assumed for some reason that the quote includes everything, all possible emergencies included.

An independent midwife doing a home birth will be £2-3k.

I’ve no idea what private hospital charge for c sections.

No @KimchiLaLa is correct a mid wife led package would be for low risk care only, if anything changed and you need input from a doctor or a cesarean then this wouldn't be included in a low risk package.
Where do you live? A number of the London NHS hospitals offer private packages so it might be worth looking into some of these.

I assumed for some reason that the quote includes everything, all possible emergencies included.

Definitely not, I'm afraid.

No emergencies won’t be included. If you need an emergency section you may well end up paying out a lot of money.

My private maternity hospital (inside a big London NHS hospital) requires a down payment of £20,000 from people who are not eligible for NHS treatment. That’s to cover emergencies for you and for the baby e.g a stay on the NHS neonatal Ward for baby or extra care (in the NHS hospital) for you.

So that £20k is to cover any costs that the NHS would incur should something go wrong and would be on top of your private package.

To clarify, you get the £20k back if nothing goes wrong!

@AnonyRat has it correct. If you go to private within NHS hospital and aren't eligible for NHS care, there will be an upfront payment for eventualities such as increased care for you or baby post birth. Private standalone hospitals (such as Portland) will also charge or make their own checks in a similar manner to ensure you can pay if additional care is needed.

Unfortunately it is a case of signing an open check wherever you go if not eligible for NHS care

How does so much health tourism exist then? How does it work?

Is there really very little health tourism and we are just led to believe there is lots?
Sorry posted too soon!

@CornforthWhite I’m not sure ‘health tourism’ is a massive issue. In any case, in the last year or so the NHS has started to impose upfront charging for people not entitled to NHS treatment. They will still treat any one who has an emergency, but you may later be billed. I guess the issue is when the patient can’t afford to pay the bill.

Thank you everyone for information. I live in London, and have browsed local hospitals already (I understand that independent midwives still get reimbursed by the NHS to an extent). It looks like an elective C-section in one of the private wings may be the lowest financial risk option (and safest for the baby as well).
I assume that the baby will be entitled to the NHS care, as s/he will be born British. Or am I mistaken here as well, and neonatal care is still considered under my own access rights?

Where pregnancy is concerned, health tourism is usually a mother not entitled to NHS care presenting to A&E already in labour. The cost of safely delivering baby is then met by NHS as people in need of care are not refused.

Routine antenatal care will not be provided by the NHS to non-eligible mothers unless some form of payment is provided.

As far as I'm aware, baby wouldn't automatically be entitled to NHS care but I'm not certain of this.

I am not a health tourist, to make it clear, but a higher rate taxpayer for 9 years, since the day of my arrival to the UK. Own a house, married to a British guy. I don't have an issue with paying, but the thought of having a potentially unlimited financial liability frightens me a little bit.

silver what’s your status? Are you sure you aren’t entitled to NHS care?

I would recommend that you get some immigration advice. Under what circumstances will baby be British and how can you prove that? Also the baby’s ‘ordinary residence’ status might follow yours so it depends how long you have been in the uk and what visa you are on. Visas and health care can get really complicated!

Just read your update silver. Why are you not entitled to NHS care? What visa are you on?

RexManning I have a residence permit under EU law (Surinder Singh route), but, apparently, a Non EU passport holder has now to have an indefinite leave to remain to qualify for the NHS care.

Yes the baby will be British if born her to a British father, and any post birth care will be free on the nhs.

Something isn't quite right. If you're marrried to a Brit you need to change your visa to a spousal visa and pay the NHS surcharge. I really can't fathom though which visa you're on that doesn't include NHS care.

Here

That's not correct. I am a non EU passport holder without ILR and I do have access to the NHS.

Agree with @KingTot. Would it be cheaper and easier to get further leave to remain and pay the NHS surcharge?

If her husband is British at the time of birth the baby will automatically be British.

(Unless the husband is British by decent and the baby is born abroad, in which case the baby will not automatically be British.)

I'd double check whether you are entitled to NHS treatment.