# private maternity fees



## cill dara34 (31 Aug 2009)

What percentage of consultants fees am i entitled to claim back in tax relief trying to make up my mind to go public or private.


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## GreenQueen (31 Aug 2009)

20%


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## Graham_07 (31 Aug 2009)

Tax relief at 20% of the medical costs incurred subject to you having sufficient tax PAID in the year to cover this.


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## cill dara34 (31 Aug 2009)

thanks


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## Ned_ie (1 Sep 2009)

Just a point - we were private initially but then our consultant was retiring and we did not know who was going to be in charge and ended up public on advice of GP. from discussions with other parents in the ward after we got better treatment under the public system!


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## Graham_07 (1 Sep 2009)

Ned_ie said:


> from discussions with other parents in the ward after we got better treatment under the public system!


 

My niece was originally going private for her first and got an earlier appointment to see the consultant under the public system than private.  She continued public for 3 pregnancies and couldn't fault the care in any of them.


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## Green (1 Sep 2009)

Ned_ie said:


> Just a point - we were private initially but then our consultant was retiring and we did not know who was going to be in charge and ended up public on advice of GP. from discussions with other parents in the ward after we got better treatment under the public system!


 


Graham_07 said:


> My niece was originally going private for her first and got an earlier appointment to see the consultant under the public system than private. She continued public for 3 pregnancies and couldn't fault the care in any of them.


 
That's interesting, can I ask what part of the country you are in?


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## Graham_07 (1 Sep 2009)

YOBR said:


> That's interesting, can I ask what part of the country you are in?


 
My neices first two experiences were at the old Erinville Hosp in Cork city, her most recent was at the new Cork University Maternity Hospital. In all the ante and post natal consults and care was excellent.


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## Ned_ie (2 Sep 2009)

Cork University Maternity

and my wife had a tough time, lost a lot of blood during birth and needed transfusion immediately etc. brilliant care there


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## Green (2 Sep 2009)

Thanks...its refreshing to hear such positive experiences of public hospital maternity care...particularly when you read articles like the one below..

[broken link removed]


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## Graham_07 (2 Sep 2009)

YOBR said:


> Thanks...its refreshing to hear such positive experiences of public hospital maternity care...particularly when you read articles like the one below..
> 
> [broken link removed]


 

While I sympathise with that situation, those with good experiences rarely contact the media to say how good things were.


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## lou2 (2 Sep 2009)

I sympathise with that situation also as 7 and a half months is too late for a first appointment. But most women would know to contact the maternity hospital to book in an appointment way before they were 3 months pregnant.


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## GreenQueen (3 Sep 2009)

That's if they knew they were pregnant.    It's still not uncommon to find out you're pregnant later than this.  It's impossible to book yourself into a maternity hospital if you don't know you're pregnant....


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## Sully1 (3 Sep 2009)

Having gone both private and public - I would recommend public - save your hard earned money to treat yourselves to a good holiday pre and post baby and still have change to get your buggy, cot etc etc

Being private can delay treatment in an emergency as they will have to wait to contact your consultant and then you will be left under the care of whoever is on duty on the day anyway.

Onlt benefit is the private room afterwards and you aren't even guaranteed that.

On my private delivery, my consultant barely made it in in time to deliver the baby - and even then he stood at the back of the room while the midwives did all the work and told me what to do. nice work for 4000 euro!!


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## JiggetyJig (3 Sep 2009)

The midwives scheme in Dublin (not sure if it is anywhere else yet) was also excellent.  1st appointment at the hopsital but subsequent appointments at (for me) the Health Care Clinic in Ballinteer.  Never a wait for the appointment.  They also have their own birthing rooms at Holles Street. You also have an option to go home just hours after the birth and the midwives come to visit you at home for up to 5 days after the birth.  There is also an option to have a home delivery.


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## Emmiou (3 Sep 2009)

I'm pregnant with my second child and have recommended to all my friends to go public - the waiting times at the public clinics are less than I experienced previously as a semi private patient. As a semi-private patient you may also have to pay for the same scan a public patient gets for free, same with lab work, and there is no booking fee (c. E1000 in one Dublin maternity hospital). There are only a limited number of private rooms in the Dublin maternity hospitals, and it is quite difficult to get one. 
I'm booked with an independent midwife for a homebirth this time, and hopefully, all going well, will be getting a private room (at home!). I have all my antenatal visits at my own house, and will be seen at home after the birth for a number of weeks - and the entire fee is covered by my Plan B/Essential plus level of health insurance.


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## Mpsox (3 Sep 2009)

In my own case, we were living in Naas at the time and decided to go public in Kilkenny (wifey from that nick of the woods). 2 reasons behind that, firstly in an emergency we figured we'd get there as fast as to Dublin City centre and secondly we had a bad experience in the Coombe. Can't fault their medical care but it was cold, factory like and in particuler the emergency waiting room was so dreary and depressing and dark.

I have to say, the care in Kilkenny was top notch. Wifey had a difficult time (18 hours) and even when the consultant who was treating her went home, he asked to be called in for the finish(even though there was another doctor taking over) and he came back in from home and delivered the smallie.

Nurses were lovely and very efficient (bar one who struggled with changing an epidural bottle). 

Only downside was not having a definate time for appointments and sharing a ward afterewards. We had to get the matron to clear some Russian men at the women next to us, they'd no interest in the baby and were watching some shoot em up DVD at full blast. However private won't guarantee you a room anyway

We wouldn't even consider going private if/when there is a next time, spend the money on a good relaxing break beforehand.


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