Public ( Private room) Hospital or Private Hospital - 2nd Pregnancy - Bit worried

zvp

All,

We are resident of Ireland for the past 5 years, now we are planning to have our 2nd baby and we are unsure of the options and maternity care available here. I am from India and we had always went in private hospital while in India and here I am unsure of the options and benefits available between Public and private. Many suggested to go public for easy and viable options. Kindly share your thoughts on below line

Me and My wife has a VHI cover for the past 5 years.

• What the benefits of going private hospital, is it better in waiting times, emergency cases etc.?
• What is the maximum amount I need to keep aside for the Private and Public hospital charges apart from VHI (Just Maternity hospital charges)?
• Is it worth going to private despite the good services already provided in Public hospital? (Good Services - Based on the my boards reviews )
• 1st baby was C section so Not sure if it could be a decision to go private.

Note : VHI - Covers Full for Public. Some Amount from my hand for Private 1, 2 & 3 hospitals - VHI mentioned as ballpark figure of Max 3500 Euro for Private on hospital bills that I need to pay.

Appreciate your answers, I am nowhere to close to the options to make a final decision.

Decision affecting factors : Cost and Care.

shesty

Just check your VHI again?Does it say that it covers fully private or semi-private care?

You would have to pay up front for Private care.At the 12 week scan, you would pay whatever the rate is for you consultant - 3500-4000 usually.If you insurance covers private care, you can claim some of that back.After that - you are covered.You shouldn't have to pay out anything else.

If you go public, you won't pay anything, your health insurance doesm't matter.

In Ireland, the "private" maternity hospitals operate in the public ones.So for example if you go private in the Rotunda, you will go to a building on the Rotunda campus for your appointments during the pregnancy, but your labour and birth and aftercare will be in the main Rotunda building.Delivery is in the same delivery rooms used by everyone who gives birth there.These are all private delivery rooms, only one woman in a room for that.Aftercare for private would be a private room up on the top floor of the building, or public would be in a ward on another floor.

As regards a C Section, it doesn't matter whether you go public or private, you will get the care you need.

Benefits of going private are seeing the same consultant for every appointment, and a private room afterwards...that is it really.In general the maternity care services are very good publicly.

SouthWesterly

It should be noted that a private room is only given if available on the day. Otherwise it could be semi private room or indeed a public ward. There is no guarantee

We went public on our 2. My wife was given a semi private room after our first at no charge. She was on the public ward for the second. We actually thought the care on the public was better.

They reduce the number of staff at weekends and 2 nurses running around all those rooms is difficult.

The only guaranteed difference in private and public is to see the same consultant for appointments. There's no guarantee he'll be there for the birth and of course a large bill.