Semi-Private Maternity Care at National Maternity Hospital?

bee1012

Hey all, I am newly pregnant and trying to figure out the maternity care process here.

After chatting with my doctor and partner, we decided to go semi-private at National Maternity Hospital. Cost wasn't really a factor in our decision as we do have health insurance. Paying for private maternity care not covered by insurance would not be a financial burden for us - we made our decision based on the fact I am relatively low risk, I like my GP and would like to continue seeing her throughout the process, and having a private room is not a huge deal for me. Also, literally no matter who my doctor is, I always experience wait times so waiting a bit longer in semi-private versus private is also not a big deal. Questions are -

* Are there any reasons I'm missing that I should do private care?
* Has anyone done semi-private care at NMH and what was your experience? As a former healthcare worker, I've found that usually the angriest people are the ones leaving reviews online so I feel like I don't have the full picture of this experience based on a Google Search.
* Is anyone familiar with Dr. Nita Adnan? One doctor I wanted was not available and the other was leaving the hospital so she will be my doctor but I'm not finding much information about her.

Millem

Congrats!
I have no experience of semi p.
There is one consultant in the coombe (the current master) who offers private combined care. You visit your gp and him. You get the same amount of visits with him as you would semi p. His fees were €2200. They may have changed now. I have no experience of the coombe either but if the fees for private care were an issue I would look into him!
If you have your heart set on Holles Street maybe the above option is available there? Best of luck

shesty

I have gone semi-p in the Rotunda for 3 babies, and my sister has done it in Holles St for 2.

Now I am open to correction from anyone who knows more differently about Holles St, but from comparing our experiences, a couple of things came up.

In the Rotunda, you do semi-p and private in a separate building to public.It's like a doctor, you wait, go into the midwife's office for the first bit of the appointment, then into the consultant's office for the next bit.In Holles St, apparently the midwife talks to you in the waiting room among everybody else, and then you see the consultant for a very brief visit.

Fees seem to be different.In the Rotunda, for semi-private, you pay all in 1100eur (in 2018 anyway, may have changed up a bit?).It covers all tests (except the Harmony one), scans, any extra appointment, etc.In Holles St, you seem to pay an up-front fee, then pay extra for bloods and possibly one of the scans?(open to correction on the scan bit).

By way of care, both seem fine.In terms of private over semi-private, it really is entirely up to yourself.I know in the Rotunda semi-private, you can just make your appointments for the day your consultant is there (they aren't all there 5 days), so you can have good continuity of care in that sense, seeing the same doctor.Otherwise it is personal choice, do you feel you want a specific consultant there for the birth or not?Essentially with semi-private you are really just paying for the bed afterwards, and the appointments in a different place.That being said I did it on all 3 because it suited me, and it worked out fine.

andreac

Millem wrote: »

Congrats!
I have no experience of semi p.
There is one consultant in the coombe (the current master) who offers private combined care. You visit your gp and him. You get the same amount of visits with him as you would semi p. His fees were €2200. They may have changed now. I have no experience of the coombe either but if the fees for private care were an issue I would look into him!
If you have your heart set on Holles Street maybe the above option is available there? Best of luck

That was my consultant on my first and on my second pregnancy which unfortunately i miscarried in March.
Dr Michael O'Connell is his name and a nicer man you couldn't meet. I would highly recommend him if you happen to go with the Coombe. His secretary Mary is so lovely too.

His fee back in 2017 was €2400 with the combined care, but you do get plenty of appts and 2 early scans before 12 weeks with him.

justwhatithink

I was semi-private in HS in 2017 and about to book in again now for number 2. The semi private clinic is in a completely separate part of the hospital to the public clinic.
You check in for your appts at the desk, get a sample pot and go fill it then go to the waiting room to be called. For your first booking appt you are taken to a private room where they capture all your info. Subsequent appts you see the midwifes first in a small shared office - 2 midwives seeing a patient each at the same time asking how you are doing etc. - the lack of privacy didnt bother me, we're all in the same unconfortable boat, so to speak! If you need bloods taken they bring you around to a different small room to do that. You sit then and wait in the hallways to see your consultant which usually entails a quick how are you doing, a quick scan for measurements etc, they fill in your chart and then you go back to the desk to make your next appt.

Waiting times can be long sometimes if theres a consultant off on leave and somebody else covering for them who isnt maybe as quick to get through the appts. However, with Covid theyve had to make changes to ensure minimal numbers waiting in a room together, according to a friend, no waiting time at all recently and nearly empty waiting room. I dont know if that will continue on into 2021.

There was a bloods fee of €125 (i think) and the 20 week scan was done in the Merrion Fetal Health clinic up the street...there was a fee for that i think too, but can claim all these things back on Health Ins.

I have no knowledge of your consultant I'm afraid. I am choosing a different consultant this time as wasnt happy with my last one. Overall id say the care in the Semi Private clinic was basic, I found the midwives to be under a lot of pressure to keep things moving and could be flippant about concerns I had. If you have no problems or complications really all you probably need from the clinic is your check ups, the care on the wards for delivery and post natal I felt was excellent, the staff were brilliant.

However, this time I have experience behind me and I will be more assertive in the care I expect and need from semi private/consultant as last time wasnt straight forward for me in the end, which was predicted by others but disregarded by my consultant - hence Im avoiding him this time.

Millem

andreac wrote: »

That was my consultant on my first and on my second pregnancy which unfortunately i miscarried in March.
Dr Michael O'Connell is his name and a nicer man you couldn't meet. I would highly recommend him if you happen to go with the Coombe. His secretary Mary is so lovely too.

His fee back in 2017 was €2400 with the combined care, but you do get plenty of appts and 2 early scans before 12 weeks with him.

I got quoted €2200 in December 2019. My husband wanted to go to the Coombe as we live Southside it is much handier than the Rotunda. I ended up going back to my own Consultant in the Rotunda

Blingy

I went semi private In Holles st for all three babies, the most recent being a couple of weeks old. I also had the consultant Dr Nita Adnan for my most recent pregnancy and I really liked her. Easily my favourite consultant out of all three pregnancies.

Semi private is a separate building to the main Holles st hospital, for my latest pregnancy the initial midwife consultation for each appointment was in a private office and then queued to see the consultant. Dr Nita is quite efficient so if there are no concerns the appointment can be quite quick. A little scan and a chat. However if you have concerns she will talk you through them.
I was usually in and out in 20/30 mins each time.

Whereas on my first pregnancy with a different more popular consultant I could be waiting an hour or 1.5 hours to be seen. It was horrendous. Any questions please just ask.

eldamo

We are currently going through semi private in Holles Street for the third time. Dr Michael Robson each time.
It has worked out very well for us previously but to be honest it is working even better this time around, they have really streamlined their system due to covid so there is very little hanging around now, far less than there used to be.
Going private has no guarantee of you getting a private room, and even your consultant is not guaranteed to be at the delivery if there is someone in greater need around.

That said, my sister went public for her first and is doing the same again this time as she was perfectly happy with the treatment she received, think she went some specific midwife led route through the coombe.

I know plenty of people who have gone full private too.
The rule of thumb seems to be, you pick one on your first go after doing a little research and crowd sourcing of opinions, if that ends up going well you keep with the same route for subsequent pregnancies.

I have one colleague who went semi private first time around and had complications so went private subsequently, the complications do not strike me as having been related to the semi private route, but I understand her rationale of going private second time around for peace of mind.

I know of no one who downgraded treatment between pregnancies (i.e. went from private to semi private or semi private to public) though I am sure there are people out there who have.

For us it was just a matter of if it aint broke don't fix it, semi private worked first time round so we saw no need to upgrade to private or downgrade to public. We had what could have turned into a complication first time around and the semi private guys took perfect care of us.

That said, due to covid, our waiting times are way down in semi private, I would presume they are quite a bit down in public too!

andreac

Millem wrote: »

I got quoted €2200 in December 2019. My husband wanted to go to the Coombe as we live Southside it is much handier than the Rotunda. I ended up going back to my own Consultant in the Rotunda

Oh that's good. Fingers crossed i get pregnant again and ill be going back to him. I actually don't think i checked his price this time, so i must do if i get to go back to him.

Millem

andreac wrote: »

Oh that's good. Fingers crossed i get pregnant again and ill be going back to him. I actually don't think i checked his price this time, so i must do if i get to go back to him.

He will probably give you a repeat discount too It seems like a good deal!