Booking into Rotunda from abroad

kdevitt

Quick background - I moved to Australia 2.5 years back with my wife, about 8 months later we had our first kid, born by emergency c-section. Standard of care was absolutely amazing (public ward is 2 per room to boot).

We're now more than likely moving home in March due to a transfer with my job, and my wife is due baby number two in July. We have already booked in for an elective c-section here in Sydney, but with the likelihood of being at home, need to cover our bases there too.

My wife rang the Rotunda last night, and to say the lady she spoke to was unhelpful is an understatement of epic proportions. She didn't really want to take any details, and suggested we should stay in Australia. When she did take details to send a form to, she wouldn't take our Australian address and instead wanted our Irish home address (which we obviously don't live in at the moment). Needless to say my wife was pretty upset, especially given how good the hospitals here are to deal with, and she's already pretty worried at the thought of being stuck waiting hours for appointments or being in a ward with half of Dublin.

Anyway - first up - am wondering if anyone else has been in the same position and how they managed it?

Secondly, given the time away from Ireland - we have no health insurance, all our treatment in Australia is covered by a reciprocal agreement. I'd rather she doesn't get stuck in a public ward - is semi-private an option without insurance (likely costs?)? We're perfectly happy for midwife care, don't want to get a consultant involved.

Lastly - is an elective c-section even an option under public / semi-private?

So many naive questions, but I am a bloke after all!

January

First off if you are not happy with the Rotunda's care at the moment half way across the world then I'd advise giving one of the other Dublin hospitals a ring and seeing if they will take you on. I had a really good experience with the Coombe and would recommend it over the Rotunda (I've been in the Rotunda too just so you think I'm drawing comparisons for nothing). The public wards in the Coombe are smaller over the wards in the Rotunda.

Unfortunately midwife care may not be an option with the previous c section. I had a c section on number 1 and it was automatic consultant led care on second pregnancy because of this. I did have just a midwife during my second labour and birth though, which was vaginal.

Semi private without health insurance would probably cost a couple of grand, with accommodation costs.

You can push for a second c section under public care if your wife really wants it, but she will have to have all the facts and why she wants another section and you to back her up too. If she's already had one c section she'll be very likely to be offered another though.

kdevitt

Thanks - will see what the Coombe have to see. (although I'm not sure I could feel the same way about a southside born child! )

Moonbeam

I have had 3 in Holles St no problem. Give them a friends irish address if you need to.
You may find a huge difference in care between Australia and here.
The midwife led clinic in Holles st is very good and wait times are usually under half an hour,I have hard people saying they have had 4/5 hours waits waiting for public appointments though.
There is little difference between semi private rooms and public there ,they both had 6 beds when I was there, you are also not guaranteed a semi private room if they are busy.
The worst with both is having to go out to the corridor to go to the showers which are shared.
The private rooms were lovely though ,you have your own bath and shower.

cch

kdevitt wrote: »

is semi-private an option without insurance (likely costs?)?

Yes but you'd be facing an open-ended amount doing this, every little thing would be put on the bill, and with a section that's a lot of accomodation, painkillers etc etc

Also a semi-private ward (if they're not full and she's bumped down to a public ward) typically has 4-6 beds in it anyway...