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Cost of living issues are a significant problem in Australia and across the world. It is understandable why many couples accept public obstetric care in an effort to reduce the financial burden of coping with mortgage, and other costs including private medical insurance.
It is important to acknowledge that the quality of medical care within the public health care system in Australia is ranked highly in comparison with other countries across the world. It is however worthwhile considering the extra benefits of private obstetric care in Australia.
Emotionally pregnancy can be a complicated time in a woman’s life. Happiness, anxiety, fear and a need for reassurance and help are all components of the feelings that most pregnant women experience. These feelings can be attended to by seeing a private obstetrician in a private hospital.
The Private Obstetrician
Within the public system, patients will be reviewed by a combination of midwives, junior and senior trainees and occasionally by a consultant obstetrician during the antenatal period.
The majority of cases patients attending a public hospital will not see a consultant obstetrician unless a complication has occurred antenatally or during labour. This system clearly works and addresses the primary needs of the majority of pregnant patients in Australia but it does not represent the optimal level of quality of medical care.
The benefits of having your personal consultant obstetrician managing your pregnancy are important so that you can have the best obstetric care.
Complications during pregnancy and during labour do occur. The purpose of obstetric care is to identify and manage any concerns and to address these before they become problems.
Unexpected problems also occur in obstetrics and the best situation to manage these is to have a consultant obstetrician with many years of experience present and caring for you in labour and managing any problems swiftly and effectively maintaining the highest standards.
As a point of comparison not all workers, tradespeople and professionals are equal. Obstetricians similarly also vary in their medical experience and in the quality of care they provide. It is important that patients make the right choice and feel comfortable with the Obstetrician they have chosen to care for them and their pregnancy. Meeting your Obstetrician for a free visit to express your views and to ask questions is one very good way of making your decision regarding the Obstetrician of your choice.
The Private Obstetrics Unit
The pressure that the public system is under necessitates that patients are discharged home early. It is normal that after a normal delivery some patients will be discharged home on day 1 and after a caesarean section on day 2.
Although the demands on staff and facilities necessitates this discharge policy, it is also true that most women are feeling too tired or sore and have not yet been able to feel comfortable looking after their newborn baby and establishing breast feeding. Unfortunately that is the way the public system works and it will not change.
The private obstetric unit however is funded by private health cover to look after mothers for five days or sometimes longer after birth. During this time patients have more time to recover from the birth. In addition they have the benefit of spending more time with midwives and are provided with guidance regarding the care of their baby and also breast-feeding.
I am aware that the public health care system in Australia is excellent, having worked almost 30 years working at The Royal Women’s Hospital.
As a result of cost of living issues more patients are calling upon the public system for care and this is placing the system under more pressure.
I believe that you will be offered a higher quality of care by your private obstetrician and your hospital experience will be more satisfying and complete within the private hospital. These thoughts are all very much important when considering the importance of your pregnancy and family.
I hope that this information has been helpful but if you have any questions you can book an appointment for a non-obligation free Meet and Greet consultation at my rooms at Northpark Private Hospital.
