Westminster maternity suite at St Thomas’s

[Rollonnovember26]

Hi all - we’re looking at the Westminster maternity suite at St Thomas’s as a private option and wondered if anyone has any experience of it?

we had a very positive experience of the Fitzrovia Suite at UCH in 2022 but have since moved so St Thomas’s would make more sense logistically. I’ve been to look round and was a bit surprised to be told they’re short staffed overnight and only have one midwife on duty at night, even when it’s at full capacity. It wasn’t the most reassuring conversation!

grateful for anyone’s insight into this and whether I’m worrying about nothing!

Westminster suite is excellent. It’s very expensive. All 4 of ours were born at st Thomas’ cause my DW worked there. After the first we did whatever we could to find the money to transfer to the Westminster suite because (and it’s not a judgement, they’re overworked) the public wards can’t cope. So the private post-natal ward was the best option. All born by EMCS, and she was in for more than week with the first with a uterine infection missed by the nurses and doctors cause they were too busy. The ward was HOT (first 2 born in June), and it was noisy and uncomfortable. Westminster suite had climate control that was controlled by the patient, private bathroom. The services weren’t luxurious- identical to the public ward in fact- but just fundamentally more dignified and individual so more private and comfortable.

we were lucky that they had a spot- they don’t take public patients unless there’s a free space (and then at £1k/night). But a private birth cost something obscene like £30k or something mad like that. The other 3 DW was only in 1 night, so it was manageable, but after the first it was worth it to avoid the trauma.

I think most hospitals have private post-natal wards, and most aren’t as expensive as st Thomas’. Homerton is £150/night or something- vastly more affordable. I think it is absolutely worth it, and would suggest it to anyone for whom it is within their means.

before people say- I agree this is what it should be like for everyone- everyone deserves dignity and privacy and comfort, especially post-natally- but the sad reality is that’s not what it is. And to me it was a very worthwhile investment in my wife’s good mental health.

as for 1 nurse overnight: that’s a 1:8 ratio. Better by far than you’ll get in the public ward.

I had our son there in summer 2019. They were excellent (although the admin to marry up our insurer with the hospital was a total ballache)

I simply wouldn’t have touched the NHS for what was likely to be (and has turned out to be) our only child. Especially as my ante natal care in the public system spectacularly failed to diagnose he was lying breech at about 36 weeks.

belated thanks for these replies - just trying to get things sorted in my mind and justifying the cost, especially after we had such a good experience going private at UCH (where I had a very similar experience it sounds like to you @Piglet89 - my son was transverse breech but not picked up on nhs!)