Going on LBC tonight to talk about new private wing at London maternity hospital - all views welcome

[carriemumsnet]

Hi all

We've been asked to comment on this story

It's just a five minute chat on LBC tonight but as always it would be great to know your views.

Thanks

MNHQ

Presumably they already had a private ward but have just expanded it
Same as St Thomas' & St Mary's

Yes and upped the price by the looks of it. Imagine it will be popular with folks who can afford to go private but want the security of being near a decent NHS neo natal ward.

If women are prepared to pay that much to deliver there, then why not?

I can't see how offering the service would be to the detriment of NHS patients (a suggested by the union rep quoted in the article), since surely at that price there would be profits over to be ploughed into the NHS side.

Are you on with Petrie? What time?

9ish I think... haven't warned the dh yet..

my view is - in my recent NHS birth in a London hospital (midwife-led birth centre at the QC), I got all the "tranquility, peace and calm" and one-to-one midwife care I could possibly have wanted. And an en-suite bathroom, and my partner welcome to stay... I know I was lucky, but the article gives the impression that these things simply can't be had unless you go private.

puddock - sounds like you were very lucky!

puddock if you don't mind saying - where were you?

EldonAve - I know it .
CarrieMN - at the Queen Charlotte and Chelsea, in the midwife-led birth centre. They were brilliant.

PS - FWIW, the article suggests the clients would be "professional and affluent who are risk-averse and have fertility issues." Well, I tick all those boxes except for being affluent and would never have considered going private.

Is a champagne birth one where you fill a birth pool with Bollinger?

I loved being on an NHS ward after the birth - all those new mummies to chat to . I would have hated to be on my own.

Am seriously of those birth facilities. I had all my three at UCH (the old building). For first one I paid £135 for private room (after one night on ward) but there was still a roach in the bathroom. They did say my dh could stay because they were understaffed, but then said they couldn't give him the guests' mattress to put on the floor because it was infested .

The worst thing for me was not the food or lack of hygeine but the fact that from 8pm - the next day your dh has to leave you all alone when all you want to do is cuddle your baby together in bed. That's what makes me so but also so happy that at least some folks are having lovely birth experiences.

what is LBC? is it a sky channel?

It's a London radio station

Thanks everyone, all done. And if Enfield and QC get a rush of new applicants we'll know why
Almost worth having another baby for... but not quite

Well done Carrie, you sounded great and Petrie is browsing MN. The whole of London now know what a fab bunch we are!

And Soupy, you are famous!

You weren't name checked Starlight but you were there Did you hear it?