Pregnant women have differing views regarding which type of private maternity care they would prefer and what they would define as ‘the best’.
Most women choose to have Consultant led care in a private hospital but others may feel that ‘the best’ care is offered by an independent midwife possibly with a home delivery. The first step is therefore to decide on the type of private maternity care the woman and her partner would like, and then to find out if this is available locally.
In many parts of the UK, private maternity services are scarce and this may restrict choice.
The bulk of private maternity care occurs in London where there are many private practitioners and private maternity units. Some of these are integrated into (or attached to) NHS hospitals and others are stand-alone private units. Choosing the right private Consultant Obstetrician and the right private hospital is not always easy.
There are a number of possible resources that can help with this decision. Many women will follow the advice of friends and family, others will follow the recommendation of their GP, or use the Internet to see what is available in their area.
Private maternity units often have well developed websites from which contact details and information on hospital services can be obtained. Many private Obstetricians also have websites, which outline the services they offer.
Hospitals can be considered both in terms of their medical services and their hotel services.
For most women the medical services are the most important, but clearly it is also desirable to be in a clean comfortable environment with facilities that will make the hospital stay more comfortable and enjoyable.
A hospital visit or tour is the best way to make an assessment of the facilities that are available and to get a ‘feel’ for the hospital. It should be easy to arrange this, and to gather the information that is required in order to make an informed choice.
There are a number of questions that are important to ask in making this choice :
What is your gut feeling about the hospital? Is it accessible, and are the staff friendly and welcoming? Is it clean and do the rooms meet reasonable standards of comfort.
Are the facilities fit for purpose? What is the staff to patient ratio on the antenatal and post-natal wards and on the delivery suite, and what proportion of those are temporary (agency) staff? Is there a nursery, and are there facilities such as breast-feeding counselors available for support in the post-natal period?
On the delivery suite, are the rooms modern and comfortable? Is there a room with a birthing pool for those women who choose this? Are there fetal monitors and resuscitaires in each room and is there an operating theatre on the same floor (should an unexpected emergency Caesarean be required)?
In case of emergency what medical staff are on site? Is there a dedicated Anaesthetist, Obstetrician and Paediatrician on site 24hrs a day? Are there on-site facilities for high dependency maternal care and neonatal intensive care?
Choosing a Consultant for ‘the best’ private medical care is a very individual decision. Not all Consultants offer real choice, some adopt a ‘hands off’ approach and are ideally suited for those women who want to do everything naturally.
Others will support the judicious use of medical intervention such as an epidural, and some may be more likely to perform a Caesarean Section. It is best for women and their partners to find out as much information as possible about their doctor and then arrange a consultation to make sure they have made the right decision. Most importantly, they need to feel that they can communicate freely with the doctor, that they have shared values and that they will they be able to get ‘the best’ private maternity care that they want.
Again there are a number of questions to be asked when choosing:
Does the Consultant Obstetrician also work in the NHS or only in private practice? If they only do private work then how many deliveries do they do every year and how do they keep up to date with best clinical practice?
What is the availability of the Consultant? Does he/she work in a team and are there well organized, cover arrangements in case he/she is unavailable? Is there an emergency contact number that works 24 hours a day, preferably a direct mobile for the doctor?
Will the Obstetrician be there during the whole of the birth or does he/she delegate much of the work during the delivery to the midwives?
It is crucial that there is trust between the Obstetrician and the pregnant woman, that he/she listens to her, and that the woman feels supported in her birth preferences whether they are a waterbirth or an elective caesarean section.
There are clearly different opinions regarding which type of birth represents ‘best practice’. What is important however is that the right type of service is available for each individual’s choice and birth preferences.
If you have any queries on our services or would like to make an appointment, please do feel free to give us a call. We are always happy to help.
For Chris Barnick,
please call on: 020 7390 8440
or email chrisbarnick@obgynmatters.co.uk
For Alison Wright,
please call on:07540 128755
or email alisonwright@obgynmatters.co.uk
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