Stop been so cheap!

[anna matronic]

There were just over 67,000 LIVE births in the UK last year, so imagine that is 67,000 extra scan appointments. this means more equipment and more trained staff. It really isn't cost effective at all when it isn't anything more than maternal reassurance.

(That is basic maths there!! Many of these live births would have had extra scans, but these are the kinds of numbers we are looking at)

 

[aob1013]

No i don't agree. We are lucky to have the NHS. You want more scans, you pay for them.

 

[ellaandcallum]

I think we are very lucky to have the NHS, all services free. I know some ladies in the US cannot even see a midwife as they dont have the insurance due to money problems. I think we are nearly one of the only countries to give out free healthcare, I maybe wrong but I know there isnt many. Two scans are plenty, it only used to be one, you are monitored by your midwife and extra scans are available if there are any concerns.

 

[aurora]

Yes its amazing the sense of entitlement people get once they start getting things for free!

 

[lillybells]

I also do not agree.

The health care us pregnant women receive under and already overly stretched NHS is more than adequate in my opinion.

There are many people in other countries who would give there right arm for a health care system similar to ours!

Please just appreciate what you have.

x

 

[Mrs_N]

I don't agree either.
If there are concerns about the baby's growth or health then extra scans are offered, and as a general rule you do not have to push very hard for these if you are measuring big or small for dates.
It's like saying you want the NHS to do monthly blood tests on you your whole life just to make sure you are okay.

 

[Didz]

The only reason I have to go for extra scans is because my first baby was tiny, she weighed 5lb 3oz at birth and so they want to make sure that this baby is growing properly and to make sure it's not something my body is causing. As a result I have to go for scans every 3 weeks.
I can understand what your saying, how it would be nice to have extra scans but I don't think it's putting the baby at risk. During your scans they check pretty much everything and they have to have some time between them to let the baby grow so they can track the growth better. If you had scans every week I don't think it'd make much of a difference.

EDIT: I forgot to add, it depends on which UK hospital you attend too. The hospital I was with for my first baby only did 2 scans. The one I'm at now does 3, more if they're concerned. The first hospital didn't do any more than 2 regardless of concerns.

Whilst I accept that unfortunately, substandard care does happen I find it hard to believe that any NHS hospital would not offer further scans if deemed necessary by other means / checks!

Well, that's just my experience. I asked the why they didn't and they said it's policy, they said the only time they would give an extra scan is if there was bleeding.

 

[milkmachine]

you could use your handbag 'health in pregnancy' grant for an extra scan or two

 

[babytots]

I totally disagree too 2 scans is more then enough in pregnancy unless you have had problems during the pregnancy or previous pregnancies that warrant more scans. (I was lucky enough to have regular scans due to my history and probably wouldn't stayed sane if I hadn't of had them and I'm very thankful to my consultant).

Like someone mentioned before midwifes and those who work in maternity are overstretched as it is throw in god knows how many appointments and scans those who are overworked would become even more overworked.

Some hospitals are so understaffed that women are left til the last minute to give birth some even give birth on beds in the hallways of the labour wards. I would much rather see money go into employing more staff so this doesn't happen then have extra scans just because my fundal height is out a couple of centimetres.

Apart from a few hiccups alone the way I couldn't fault my care in any of my pregnancies and how some of the staff have gone out of their way to reassure me as much as possible be it extra scans,appointments or monitoring.

Just my 2p's worth. x

 

[anna matronic]

you could use your handbag 'health in pregnancy' grant for an extra scan or two

Alot of people do!!

 

[LadyofRohan]

As an American citizen (with an English husband) who lives in the US, all I can say is that I wish we had NHS here. You all are really lucky. Yes, you pay for it through taxes, etc. But paying privately for insurance here in the US is ridiculous.

Over $800 is taken out of my husband's salary each month for insurance just to cover the two of us, and that doesn't pay for everything at all.

I've had over $1000 in medical bills last month alone just going in for ultrasounds and getting bloodwork done for monitoring my PCOS. One ultrasound at my fertility clinic costs $245 each time (I've had three of them so far), and that's with the 10% discount that they give to those of us who are considered 'self pay.' My husband has psoriasis and one tube of medication cost $440. Last time he was in England he picked up 10 tubes of the exact same medication for just over seven pounds.

So, yeah, I'm totally jealous of your health care system. Can I move over there with you ladies?

 

[November1984]

But paying privately for insurance here in the US is ridiculous.

Not always.

We paid $60 a month through our employer for private insurance when we lived in the states. It was a PPO.
The care you get in the states depends on the type of insurance you hold as well.
I had a scan every month and my doctor was Angie Jolie's doc for her kid's births.
I got a huge private room with spa @ my hospital and now that we moved to Canada I am having a hard time dealing with the differences.
It's unneeded treatment I got, I know -- can't say I didn't like it though.
I am a bit in shock still at the difference but that's because we worked for companies specifically that offered the best of the best healthcare wise.
My son's birth/doc care was billed to our insurance for about $100,000. We paid a $100 dollar copay -- actually paid less than we do in Canada for healthcare premiums.

 

[happigail]

As an American citizen (with an English husband) who lives in the US, all I can say is that I wish we had NHS here. You all are really lucky. Yes, you pay for it through taxes, etc. But paying privately for insurance here in the US is ridiculous.

Over $800 is taken out of my husband's salary each month for insurance just to cover the two of us, and that doesn't pay for everything at all.

I've had over $1000 in medical bills last month alone just going in for ultrasounds and getting bloodwork done for monitoring my PCOS. One ultrasound at my fertility clinic costs $245 each time (I've had three of them so far), and that's with the 10% discount that they give to those of us who are considered 'self pay.' My husband has psoriasis and one tube of medication cost $440. Last time he was in England he picked up 10 tubes of the exact same medication for just over seven pounds.

So, yeah, I'm totally jealous of your health care system. Can I move over there with you ladies?

Jesus WEPT,thats some big assed bills :0

 

[forgodssake]

I think considering people in the UK get free healthcare it's not unreasonable to expect the minimum number if scans for a healthy pregnancy. If your m/w or Dr has concerns then yeah, you'll have more.

I get more over here (probably 4 over all) but I pay a small cost for each as they are subsadised, not free. And even here most normal pregnancies only get 2 may be 3 as that's all that really needed in most cases. M/w are damn good at working out size etc

I'm not saying the NHS is perfect, cos it's very definitley not, but is a good enough system, look what you DO get for free, I think it's great they provide free appts, scans, free dental care etc.

i am a huge fan of the nhs - i have a great deal of respect for our healthcare system and am grateful to live in a country which provides the level of care which we receive. however, i don't agree when anyone says we receive this for "free" - it's never been free.

OP - would you agree to an increase in tax to fund these additional scans?!

no i wouldnt... i believe we pay enough tax as it is and in my personal experience and opinion i dont think the health care we recieve is worth what we pay! ...

couldn't have said it better myself. The healthcare I received during my pregnancy was diabolical, I won't even mention the awful care I had before I was pregnant. I would GLADLY pay for my healthcare if I thought it would be a little better, unfortunately private healthcare isn't much better according to many people I know. I've also got to say that other than being pregnant & a child, I've NEVER had free dental care, not sure where you got that from.

See post #42

what's your point?? I don't give a sh*t about that, I would still rather pay if it meant I would get better care.

My point IS read post #42 to see EXACTLY the kind of things you will be needing to pay for!!

If you would rather pay then go ahead - whats stopping you?

I'm sorry you had a bad experience with the NHS but your experience is really not indicative of the service as a whole and surely it would be more productive to complain and attempt to have the wrongs put right, saving someone else the bad experience than to "slate" the NHS on an internet forum as though its the worst thing in the world and you dont get out what you pay in?

Finally, it would also make your "side", "argument", whatever you want to call it have so much more credence if you could manage to get your point across without swearing

 

[mummy3]

But paying privately for insurance here in the US is ridiculous.

Not always.

We paid $60 a month through our employer for private insurance when we lived in the states. It was a PPO.
The care you get in the states depends on the type of insurance you hold as well.
I had a scan every month and my doctor was Angie Jolie's doc for her kid's births.
I got a huge private room with spa @ my hospital and now that we moved to Canada I am having a hard time dealing with the differences.
It's unneeded treatment I got, I know -- can't say I didn't like it though.
I am a bit in shock still at the difference but that's because we worked for companies specifically that offered the best of the best healthcare wise.
My son's birth/doc care was billed to our insurance for about $100,000. We paid a $100 dollar copay -- actually paid less than we do in Canada for healthcare premiums.

A PPO is cheaper monthly but you pay so much more out of pocket for doctors visits, specialists etc if anything is wrong! Not great at all when you have kids!!

I too pay $800 per month for insurance and we have great coverage for most things. It would have got expensive if we needed things like infertility treatment as its only covered 50%. We have to pay $15 every prescription and $30 per doc visit, $100 if need the ER But the level of care is incredible, we get to go to the best hospitals etc. When we lived in the UK (im british, hubby american) we got taxed through the nose so much more than here in the states, that actually, even after insurance is paid we are much better off than in the UK

 

[November1984]

But paying privately for insurance here in the US is ridiculous.

Not always.

We paid $60 a month through our employer for private insurance when we lived in the states. It was a PPO.
The care you get in the states depends on the type of insurance you hold as well.
I had a scan every month and my doctor was Angie Jolie's doc for her kid's births.
I got a huge private room with spa @ my hospital and now that we moved to Canada I am having a hard time dealing with the differences.
It's unneeded treatment I got, I know -- can't say I didn't like it though.
I am a bit in shock still at the difference but that's because we worked for companies specifically that offered the best of the best healthcare wise.
My son's birth/doc care was billed to our insurance for about $100,000. We paid a $100 dollar copay -- actually paid less than we do in Canada for healthcare premiums.

A PPO is cheaper monthly but you pay so much more out of pocket for doctors visits, specialists etc if anything is wrong! Not great at all when you have kids!!

I too pay $800 per month for insurance and we have great coverage for most things. It would have got expensive if we needed things like infertility treatment as its only covered 50%. We have to pay $15 every prescription and $30 per doc visit, $100 if need the ER But the level of care is incredible, we get to go to the best hospitals etc. When we lived in the UK (im british, hubby american) we got taxed through the nose so much more than here in the states, that actually, even after insurance is paid we are much better off than in the UK

Infertility treatments for me would have been covered completely w/my old healthcare plan. I also paid $25 for my breast reduction and lift after I had my son by a top Bev Hills doc. Insurance covered that 100% too (well, almost minus the $25 co-pay).

I think it may also depend on the carrier. The one I had pretty much covered all specialist visits about 100% -- can't think of one it didn't. That sounds like an expensive plan you have there for sure!

 

[aurora]

November, you can still choose to work for someone in Canada with the big fancy benefits.
Personally, I'm happy with Canada's health coverage, especially up here since we don't have to pay at all. Pretty lucky!

 

[peanut56]

November, you can still choose to work for someone in Canada with the big fancy benefits.
Personally, I'm happy with Canada's health coverage, especially up here since we don't have to pay at all. Pretty lucky!

Agreed!!

 

[misscream]

November, you can still choose to work for someone in Canada with the big fancy benefits.
Personally, I'm happy with Canada's health coverage, especially up here since we don't have to pay at all. Pretty lucky!

Agreed!!

Actually you do have to pay if you live in BC. Which I find odd!

 

[peanut56]

^^ We actually used to have to pay in Alberta too....$44 a month...but they got rid of that a couple of years ago, which was great