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patient travel to aberdeen maternity for birth


lutrawest
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Hello folks,

 

Having a baby soon and have been told that I need to go to Aberdeen Maternity for the birth. I've been informed by GBH that I don't need an escort which means my partner's travel and accommodation (if we're unable to get into hospital accommodation) will not be covered. Is this correct?

 

I know public funds are limited but this seems very unfair as we don't really have a 'choice' about where the birth takes place and I wondered if this not paying for partners/escort is the norm for Shetland Mums & Dads. What happens if you're on low income or unable to cover the costs?

If you can't afford to cover costs does this mean a woman has to be without her birth partner? Why isn't the dad or birth partner considered essential to the Mum and baby? Is there a way around this?

 

Thanks :)

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There used to be a discount for relative visiting patients south but I don't know if it is still avialable. The only reference I could find through Google was this.

 

http://www.shetnews.co.uk/news/4321-tributes-as-travel-agents-close

 

the hospital visitor fares service would continue to be available through the Loganair Air Discount Scheme helpline on 0844 800 2855.
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Thanks mucklejoanie for the link. Yes I believe there is a travel discount available but nothing towards accommodation.

 

I think dads/partners/birth partners need to be there to support the Mum and welcome baby. Also what happens if there are complications and you end up staying 2 weeks or so? It can be very expensive and worrying. It would be good if NHS Shetland could have a think about this.

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sorry but no. its not for nhs shetland to fund your stay. if your on benefits see them. or speak to aberdeen hospital about accommodation.

 

the board is broke its struggling to pay for its front line services so paying for your stay would not be right.

 

i now its not fair on you or your wife but sadly thats how it is.

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  • 1 month later...
sorry but no. its not for nhs shetland to fund your stay. if your on benefits see them. or speak to aberdeen hospital about accommodation.

 

the board is broke its struggling to pay for its front line services so paying for your stay would not be right.

 

i now its not fair on you or your wife but sadly thats how it is.

 

I'm sorry Paulb but if the NHS had adequate provisions so this mother could give birth in Shetland then there would be no need to travel to Aberdeen. It's not this couples fault they have to travel south so it's my belief that the NHS should fund this travel and accomodation.

 

I was caught in a situation this year with the birth of my child as myself and my partner had to travel to Aberdeen at very short notice via air ambulance. Luckily there was space in the island accomodation at the maternity hospital but I had to pay my own travel back. Luckily I'm in a position to be able to afford flights but what if I wasn't, at the same time I pay my taxes for a reason and I would have expected my travel home to be covered. There was absolutely no way my partner would have been able to manage with my child in the airport after so recently giving birth so I was acting as an escort, I beleave they pay travel if they class you as an escort.

 

If the money spenders at the hospital didn't spend a fortune on flat screen tv's and fancy dyson fans then maybe they would have more funds to help fathers with travel. Also the beds and all the rooms at the Gilbertbain seem to be of a very high spec compared to the Aberdeen Royal infirmary. It's clear to me where some money is being wasted.

 

Also I have learned there is some inconsistency with this as I know fathers in the same situation as me who had there travel completely covered. Now if you go on a scheduled flight it seems the flights are normally covered, if you go on air ambulance then they are not for the partner. The issue is complete inconsistency in policy. I would like to add though this is an issue with policy and in no way reflects on the excellent work the staff working for NHS do every day.

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Just to clarify - the Maternity department at GBH always has been a place where low risk women give birth. If there are any complications then you should be in Aberdeen. In Shetland there is no Obstetrician, no Paediatrician and no Neonatal unit. I agree that it is difficult for partners having to pay for travel and accommodation, but if you lived on the Mainland of Scotland and needed specialist care in a large hospital, then you wouldn't expect the NHS to pay for your travel.

Come on folks, you have months of preparation for a baby coming, put a few pounds away each week and you will have money for an emergency ticket. Remember that the NHS is not a bottomless pit of money and the TV and fan in your room was probably donated by some kind person.

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HI,

 

Depends on what those complications are for that indvidual mother, its frightening that nearly half the mothers are being flown off the island that a very high figure which needs looking into. Some mothers are being told they must fly off island when perhaps not always, depending on the exact nature of the problem and much research they do, see One world Birth.

I had some very interesting conversations when I was down at ARI with staff about reasons some mothers that need not had been flown off and get persuaded /pressurised it their only option/choice.

 

Don't get me wrong there are times when the services of alrger more specialist hospital are required and some mothers maybe borderline but theres also good proportion that are still be given scare tatics etc.

If NHS cannot provide a service or is advising you fly off island let them pay/partner.

At one point I was advised to take a bank loan out when they thought I might require bedrest for several weeks and partner would have to be home to look after the children.Had it come to that I would have insisted on bedrest at GBH and at that point it was nothing life threatening if they could get me off the island they would using whatever possible tatic they could luchily it didn't come to that and i'm not the only mother.

 

 

i'm also disgusted that some volonteers were bag packing at COOP while ago to pay for breast feeding training to act as breast feedingcouncilliors to other mothers.

Mothers teaching mothers with breastfeeding and given extra training to do so is one thing, to expect the volonteers to raise the money themselves so they can is disgusting and should be paid for by th NHS out of their budgets afterall its doing maternity unit big favour and helping them surely they raise put up the money to do so.

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Just to clarify not all folks can afford to put that extra ££ away for months for a just in case ticket after finally struggling to start a family, some families struggle to put extra ££ away for all sort of different bills just to live and get by and start a family.

 

Anyone struggling please get in touch with BIRTHRIGHTS and AIMS see One world Birth thread.

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Yeah I agree there has been money wasted in the maternity dept, all very well having T.V 's in indvidual rooms that most mothers let face use for such a short time mostly etc but money spent more carefully with better planning to provide more up to date delivery rooms when they were re -vamping them would have been better and using items that were donated for specific cause actually used for what they were intended like items that were donated for an early loss room which were being used in other parts of the unit .Nobody minds helping and donating but when its cast aside and used elsewhere item brought it's dishearting make you why you bother.

Volonteers having to fundraise for training which is helping out NHS Shetland

which in turn helps midwives out ,midwives get paid to attend courses and we hvae had our own ladies on Shetland fundraise to train themselves this how far does this go and in other areas its start of a very slippery slope.

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Also I have learned there is some inconsistency with this as I know fathers in the same situation as me who had there travel completely covered. Now if you go on a scheduled flight it seems the flights are normally covered, if you go on air ambulance then they are not for the partner. The issue is complete inconsistency in policy. I would like to add though this is an issue with policy and in no way reflects on the excellent work the staff working for NHS do every day.

 

The issue isn't an inconsistent policy, more to do with the amount of room on the air ambulance. If the weather is bad then the plane will carry more fuel, which means there isn't the ability to carry the extra weight of a person. Also, there may be a clinical reason for not carrying anybody who isn't a patient or medical staff, for instance if another patient is being carried at the same time.

Every effort is made to carry fathers where possible, but sometimes it can't work out for the reasons above.

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  • 3 weeks later...
Remember that the NHS is not a bottomless pit of money and the TV and fan in your room was probably donated by some kind person.

 

From what I can recall 6 Dyson fans were purchased from a reputable local retailer at a reduced price with 1 given gratis, I'm sure they cost far more than a fan easily sourced at £15. They were not donated and there was a cost involved so an unnessary overspend. Obviously good business as this possibly lead to the sale of the tv's a further overspend.

 

Also I have learned there is some inconsistency with this as I know fathers in the same situation as me who had there travel completely covered. Now if you go on a scheduled flight it seems the flights are normally covered, if you go on air ambulance then they are not for the partner. The issue is complete inconsistency in policy. I would like to add though this is an issue with policy and in no way reflects on the excellent work the staff working for NHS do every day.

 

The issue isn't an inconsistent policy, more to do with the amount of room on the air ambulance. If the weather is bad then the plane will carry more fuel, which means there isn't the ability to carry the extra weight of a person. Also, there may be a clinical reason for not carrying anybody who isn't a patient or medical staff, for instance if another patient is being carried at the same time.

Every effort is made to carry fathers where possible, but sometimes it can't work out for the reasons above.

 

Just to clarify I wasn't suggesting an inconstancy with travelling on the air ambulance. The inconsistency I'm trying to point out is the travel costs, it seems if the air ambulance is arranged then the return journey is not covered for the partner. If its arranged for a scheduled flight and pre planned then it would appear that the partners cost are covered for both journeys.

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From what I can recall 6 Dyson fans were purchased from a reputable local retailer at a reduced price with 1 given gratis, I'm sure they cost far more than a fan easily sourced at £15. They were not donated and there was a cost involved so an unnessary overspend. Obviously good business as this possibly lead to the sale of the tv's a further overspend.

 

the reason they have those and not the cheapy ones is infection control. they are easy to clean between patents were as the ones with the grills are not.. with out those fans there would be none.

 

some things may appear expensive unless you understand the reason behind them.

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the reason they have those and not the cheapy ones is infection control. they are easy to clean between patents were as the ones with the grills are not.. with out those fans there would be none.

 

some things may appear expensive unless you understand the reason behind them.

 

Whilst the press report states that the hospital "felt" these fans would be easier to clean because they have no blades, the fact remains that these fans do, indeed, have grilles.

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