Private hospitals in London

[Ellsbells3032]

Anyone have any experience with private hospitals in London. I seem to have mine narrowed down to three:

1. St Thomas - close to mine and my husbands work so easy for appointments but about a 50 minute drive from home. But excellent neonatal care etc
2. Portland Street - little more expensive than the other two but their package includes physio which would be good for me as hypermobile but worried as the neonatal facilities are private if babu needs extra care for like three months could bankrupt us. It's only about a 25 min drive from us and most of the local doctors here deliver there plus only about 20 mins from both our work offices
3. Queen Charlotte - about a half hour drive from home but an hour from either of our offices at least. But has excellent neonatal care.

Anyone had any experiences or advice. Plus any consultant names would be really useful. Thanks

@HarrietM87 ahhh i heard about this, is this about c sections being done on the NHS by junior doctors? eek!

@AbelMartinez it’s an account by a junior obstetrician of his time in practice in NHS and private. He very strongly recommends NHS based on the experiences he sets out in the book. It’s worth a read as he doesn’t have an agenda - it’s actually mainly a comedy but some of what he says in passing is chilling.

PS junior doctors are up to about 10/11 years qualified - it’s entirely normal for them to be doing c sections.

@AbelMartinez thanks but as said earlier in the post not actually pregnant yet. the consultant I have been under as the OBGYN has announced he's retiring and therefore i'd like to find someone else who would be the person I'd be under if/when I get pregnant. plus we are planning to move home soon so trying to work out budgets which will depend on which hospital. I appreciate any feedback you have on the hospitals in the coming weeks. Annoyingly the only hospital near to me that had private (Watford) closed down their private maternity five years ago. Portlands also closer to me (and was where i was born) but feel the feedbacks been a bit hit and miss.

@HarrietM87 thank you. I have read that book a while ago but don't remember much of it. from your comments I assume it's to try and sway me into using NHS. I appreciate your comments but I am not asking NHS v private I am asking to pick between private hospitals.

@AbelMartinez I’m only 11 weeks but please do report back on your appointment tomorrow! I have so many questions too but don’t know when I’ll even have any contact with the hospital! Who is your ob?

@bells3032 the book may have the opposite effect and sway you away from the NHS!

@AbelMartinez can I ask what prices you have been quoted for St Thomas? and for the consultant I can't find a full price list on their site. You can pm privately if more comfortable with that

Thank you

I had DD in the Portland last year and I would recommend it in a heartbeat! The quality of care was excellent the whole way through, particularly the after-care. My husband and I stayed for five days ...

Everything about the experience was great, even though it wasn't a straightforward birth (induced, antibiotics in labour, back to back baby, ended up one ventouse away from an emergency section but luckily DD came out). They don't 'only do C-sections' and they are completely open to what kind of birth you want - medicalised or 'natural'. At all times I felt consulted and respected, the Portland is now my 'safe space' in my head.

I wish people would stop trotting out the absolute shit that there is no intensive care for mother or baby, it's putting people off a perfectly great option when there's no need. They have facilities for both of you if anything goes wrong.

By the way, I ruled out the Lindo because they had no facilities for a water birth - not that I was able to have one in the end!

@Ellsbells3032 I don't mind :)

The hospital fees were 6040 for two nights and the consultant is 5500 (I'm starting at 32 weeks). and seeing Dr Kunde. He has really good reviews. But I'm sure they are all excellent.

If you go on the website they have all the consultant details and then you can message them directly. It's all a bit of a faff, i set up a spread sheet to add them all on and compare ha!

Anyway I still think it's all rather pricey for what it is, but Guy's is cheaper than St Charlottes which was minimum £14.5k. I was going to go to King's, they have a good price of £10,500 and if you go to Kingston Hospital it's about £8-9k.

I say 'good price'.. .i think the whole industry is a bit of racket!

Thank you. I have budgeted about £20k for it so it's good to overbudget. I don't know if I will need C-section. I suspect due to medical issues (severe hypermobility and also have been known to spontaneously break ribs) I probably will.

Sadly both Kings and Kingston are like an hour and a half away even not rush hour eeek

OP it’s not to sway you one way or another, but if you’re not even pregnant yet it’s worth a read. It’s interesting because it’s one doctor‘s experience of both and because it’s written for an entirely different purpose it’s less biased than all the marketing stuff you’ll read out there. Obviously it’s just one person’s experience but given it’s such a massive decision from all perspectives I think it’s worth reading while you have the luxury of time. As a pp said you may well read it and feel like private is absolutely the right decision!

Con Kelleher delivered one of my children - private wing of St Thomas'. Was very happy with him

I'm having a c-section in August at the Lindo Wing. I'm passionate about the NHS (I'm an experienced frontline nurse in it!), but had an awful experience with my first birth. A difficult, messy emergency section and a week on the chaotic, noisy postnatal ward left me with PTSD. I'm used to busy, acute wards, but it was an awful experience. Coronavirus and the very slim possibility of a private room being available tipped me into the decision.

I wanted one attached to an NHS hospital in case of NICU / emergency care being needed. Ended up going for the Lindo Wing as it was the only one that had consultant availability (I had left it quite late to decide on this!).

Has been a good decision so far. My consultant is wonderful- so thorough, caring and it feels like she has all the time in the world for me. She has explained everything in such detail, and I feel safe in her care. Don't know what the ward will be like - all I really care about is having my own room!

Don't explain yourself.
I would say that giving birth is tough wherever you go. I had one in Kingston Hospital NHS and the other privately in the US. The big difference was after the birth - noisy hot ward in Kingston; calm, private oasis the second time. As a result I came home far less knackered.

I had mine privately at UCLH but they only do c sections or at least they used to.

I came to UK (residency visa sorted and premium paid into NHS) when I was about 24/5 weeks but was not entitled to NHS. I started with Lindo wing which looked great but kept looking. Changed from Lindo wing to Royal Surrey County Hospital but private because
*My appointments (physical location) were being moved around as they thought Kate M might deliver anytime so for security and privacy reasons for her
*We were commuting from Petersfield and I didn't fancy the two hour ride
*At one appointment, consultant was distracted by a non-urgent phone while scanning me and was distracted as I talked to him. He was nice enough but then as I was still deciding, met a wonderful consultant (kind, compassionate, professional yet feels like a friend) at RSCH in Guildford and was immediately sold. Never regretted it. Although my induction went a bit wrong, him and the anaesteologist were brilliant and my emergency c section was like chatting with mates in a pub (was joking with the anaesteologist while consultant did his job).
Am in early weeks with my second and have opted for private again though am eligible for NHS. We pay for private insurance that I hardly use so after that experience, I thought why not. A bit sad cos I know NHS is brilliant but...
That's just my experience. Not your chosen hospitals but just wanted to share my experience

Another option might be to employ a private midwife who can do all your antenatal and postnatal care and support you through a hospital birth within the NHS. With private midwifery care you could plan to go avoid the postnatal ward in most situations and have one to one care at home. As others have said if any serious/major neonatal issues your little one would be transferred in to an NHS specialist unit.
I would be happy to talk through your options etc if that would help?

OP, choose a private wing in an NHS hospital - that way you have the best of both worlds. Critical care doctors on site, ICU on site etc - vital if anything goes wrong (it probably won't but just in case). Private hospitals are not always great in emergencies as they dont have the facilities or the specially trained staff to cope.

@abelmartinez how was your appointment?

Hey @Ellsbells3032 appointment booked for next thurs night.. spoke to Mr Kunde's PA seemed nice. Am happy with my choice so far. Just hope my husband can stay in the room. Of he can i might book another night or two to ease us into parenthood slowly!

Oh sorry thought it was Thurs just gone. Good luck with it. Have a friend who recently had at the portland and they let her husband stay. So fingers crossed for you

I’m having an elective c-section at St Thomas’ in 3 weeks with Mr Kunde. Have so far been very impressed with the service and just being able to have my husband with me made us choose it over the Nhs and having a private room

@Koo33 not long to go! 🎉 All the best for the next few weeks!

@ Figey thank you 😊