During Your Stay
Additional Hospital Services
Consultant Paediatrician Newborn Baby Check
Important Information for Patients with Private Medical Insurance
As part of our commitment to providing a quality service, all new parents are invited to accept our recommendation of a newborn baby check by a Consultant Paediatrician.
The check provides a full assessment of the newborn baby including a thorough examination. Its purpose is to detect conditions that are not easily identified during pregnancy and which may affect a baby’s health. Paediatricians can also answer any questions you may have about the medical care of your new baby. This is a service that is greatly valued by parents who use the facilities at The Portland Hospital. It not only provides you with the reassurance that your baby is being carefully monitored, but also establishes an important link with highly qualified Paediatricians that, in our experience, is often maintained throughout a child’s early life.
The Portland Hospital believes this check to be so important it is now included in the price of our self-pay packages (i.e. for those individuals who are not covered by private medical insurance and who pay for services themselves.) As with all treatment received and paid for under private medical insurance schemes, it is a patient’s individual responsibility to seek authorisation for payment in advance of services provided. Once agreement has been received that an insurer will meet these costs, then the insurers will be invoiced directly by The Portland Hospital.
For those patients whose private medical insurer will not meet the cost of the newborn baby assessment, the optional service is chargeable at £250. This charge will be placed on your hospital account to be settled by you on discharge.
Audiology – Hearing Tests for Babies and Young Children
Hearing is essential to communication. In the early years of life children will learn important things about their environment including language and social interaction. A large proportion of this learning is through hearing and consequently the value of early and regular hearing checks in children is universally recognised.
The checks outlined should be performed in sequence to ensure your child’s hearing is tested at regular intervals. A doctor’s referral is not necessary for any of these hearing tests, unless it is a requirement of your insurance company. Results are available immediately and reported to your Consultant, Pediatrician or GP.
The First Hearing Check
2-3 days after birth
Hearing is measured using a sophisticated technique while your baby sleeps. A small probe placed in the ear records a barely audible response, via a tiny microphone, giving information about the hearing for a range of sounds important for understanding speech.
This test requires:
- Approximately fifteen minutes
- Your baby to be asleep
- Quiet surroundings
You will be informed of the test results immediately.
This hearing test is available to all mothers who have delivered at The Portland Hospital during their postnatal stay. It can be performed either in the postnatal room or in the nursery if sufficiently quiet. For mums who are discharged over the weekend or choose to stay in the hospital for two nights after their delivery the service is available as an Outpatient appointment.
The Second Hearing Test
At 7-8 months
By now your baby is active and will soon begin their first words. Testing children at this age allows us to detect mild degrees of hearing loss that may not be obvious to you in your child’s actions or development progress.
The test requires:
- Approximately thirty minutes
- Your baby to be happy and alert
- A special test booth, available at The Portland Hospital
The second test will be performed as an Outpatient appointment in the Audiology Department.
These hearing tests are at an additional cost and will be charged to your hospital account. For cost charges, further information or to book an appointment, please contact the Audiology department.
When booking an appointment please have your baby’s date of birth and the name of the Consultant Pediatrician ready. Telephone the Audiology department on 020 7390 6573. The Department is based in the basement at 234 Great Portland Street.
Complimentary gifts and Commemorative Photography
Celebration Gift Pack
To mark the birth of your baby, all new mothers are presented with a celebration gift pack which includes our house Portland Hospital champagne, Molton Brown toiletries and useful information on caring for your newborn.
Times Birth Announcements
Parents are invited to announce the birth of their baby in the Times newspaper with whom we have negotiated a 50% discount against the cost of a listing. The hospital ward staff are able to arrange this during your postnatal stay.
Portly Panda Club
All babies born or children treated at The Portland Hospital are invited to join the Portly Panda club. Club members will receive a birthday card, New Year greeting, regular club newsletters and an invitation to the annual Portly Panda club party.
Professional Photography & Web Babies
We recommend Imagethirst photography, specialists in baby and child photography, and have negotiated a preferential offer for all Portland Hospital parents. New parents are invited to a complimentary photography shoot, either at the hospital or a location of your choice, from which a picture can be selected for our ‘Web Babies’ feature on the hospital’s website. For further information contact our Patient Coordinator on 020 7390 6067.
