Giving birth abroad and getting funding for it....

Strapped

Train? (London to Paris, change for train to Spain)

3plus1

themaccas wrote: »

I think you'll find that all emergency treatment (and giving birth includes that) is free to all EU nationals whereever they are in the EU.

And I think you'll find that's simply not true.

You're entitled to receive the same treatment as the ordinary residents of the EU country you're visiting - but that isn't necessarily free. In France, for example, an ambulance trip will cost you €20 during the week and €40 on a Sunday. And then there's medication costs on top of that. I am speaking from personal experience. I have lived and worked in France, paying my Sécu contributions (NI equivalent) and I have paid to have emergency treatment. A friend of mine even had to pay for an ambulance when some idiot French driver ploughed her down on a zebra crossing.

Just because we have the NHS doesn't mean everyone else has an equivalent.

I don't know the healthcare situation in Spain, but don't just assume it's all free. Do your research first. If it's free for the locals, it's free for you, but it might not necessarily be free for any of you.

Hope the rest of the pregnancy goes well and you have an easy birth

lynnexxxo

iwanttosave wrote: »

If a doctor gives you a letter to say you are fit to travel, of course you can.

I think it the airline can refuse to take you. Ryanair will not allow you to travel after 28 weeks. Most airlines i think its 32.

jedeye

Yes, we've got a letter from our doctor saying my wife is fit and well to travel up to 36 weeks.

That cost us £13. Any chance for a reinbursement?!??!

That was a joke by the way!!

Airlines are so busy to get you on and off the plane no employee want to shake the tree and say you can't travel.

Current situation - we've got a million and one things to do, but I hope I can draft a letter to the Dept of Health.

jedeye

Caz312

from the BA website


Travelling when pregnant
Pregnancy is not considered a medical condition, so you are able to travel until quite late into your pregnancy. Please note that:

• You can travel up to 36 weeks for single pregnancies and 32 weeks for twins, triplets etc.
• You will need to carry a doctor's certificate after 28 weeks confirming the estimated date of delivery, that there are no complications that you are fit to fly.

vaio

inkie wrote: »

My midwifery training involved delivering at least 40 babies, conducting at least 100 a/n and p/n checks amongst other things. This took me 18 months following a 3 1/2 year nursing course.
I think what you mean is that BA staff may have been instructed in catching a baby which is spontaneously going to deliver.

delightfully put

themaccas

jedeye wrote: »

BTW: Unfortuanetly also, Spanish hospitals for basic care is 100% visually better than the state of a&e and ante-natal in this country. I seen that also!

jedeye

I really wish you and your wife well but the above statement is a little misguided. Spanish maternity care is very different to care provided in this country and IMO is not for the better. The Royal College of Midwives (UK) recently published a very intersting article about Spanish maternity care and if you think this country performs 'conveyor belt' care you'll find Spain 10 times worse - just ask the many Spanish midwives in this country that come to train and practice midwifery here because 'midwifery' does not really exist in Spain, it is very medicalised and obstetric.

Yorkshire-Lady_3

Your wife may be fit to fly now, but might not be when she gets to 36 weeks. Pregnancy changes on a daily basis. I dont think a letter dated november will suffice in January.

LondonDiva

jedeye wrote: »

Yes, we've got a letter from our doctor saying my wife is fit and well to travel up to 36 weeks.

That cost us £13. Any chance for a reinbursement?!??!

It was a private service, not NHS so no refunds I'm afraid!

jedeye wrote: »

Current situation - we've got a million and one things to do, but I hope I can draft a letter to the Dept of Health.

If you want funding for a particular treatment, it's not the DoH you need to start with, but your local PCT as they will be the one's trying to find funding for it.

You need to contact the PALS at your PCT ans ask them to find out how you go about applying for exceptional treatment / Out of Area treatment funding. They will let you know and get back to you

You should also bear in mind that the NHS does not pay retrospectively for treatment abroad, or someone delibrately going abroad to have unagreed treatment and any treatment will need to be agreed beforehand. if you do end up abroad, you will need to make sure that you have an EHIC form for emmergency treatment.

EHIC entitles you to immediate and neccessary treatment on the same basis as the locals, so if they pay xx, you pay xx - we get a great deal free here that they don't. Giving birth is an emmergency, but the after care and everything once the baby pops out isn't counted as such and the costs do mount up...

In many cases you will need to pay up front and then reclaim from there or if you're too frazzled, then contact the EHIC people (dOH website for details) who will tell you what you need to do to reclaim it from the country

BernadetteN

I am reading between the lines that you have not yet seen any medical staff in Spain at all and have not booked yourself in for a hospital birth in Spain (otherwise you would surely have been informed by them of the costs involved)? If this is the case, then I would find this quite foolhardy and possibly dangerous to the new mum and unborn baby. I really can't believe you would travel such a long distance at 36 weeks either.

I don't know where you get the opinion that our NHS maternity services are so inferior to Spanish services? The NHS is certainly not perfect but just ask yourself why so many overseas medical staff choose to work in the UK and also why so many heavily pregnant women do the same as you are planning and come to the UK solely to give birth (I work at a busy port and have encountered this scenario many many times).

I also hope you are not also doing this in order to secure dual nationality for your unborn baby. It's quite probable that the child will be born a dual national wherever it is born, have you checked this?

I have personally given birth in the UK 4 times, the cheapest and best being a home birth (would have been far cheaper than any Spanish hospital healthcare as it cost 5 hours of midwife time and one shot of that drug they give you to ease delivery of the afterbirth). I have never witnessed or experienced sub-standard care. In fact the worst thing that has ever happened in the NHS was the food! You will hear horror stories from any health service in the world so you cannot go on anectodal evidence, good or bad, from people like me either. I would however trust clinical research (thinking of RCM report mentioned above).

If you are that bothered about the NHS, why not give birth at home - if you think you are safe enough to travel across Europe at 36 weeks pregnant then you should be fine for a home birth too. You can take up an independent midwife even, if you are worried about using up NHS resources.