It looks like the recession has hit us hard in all areas of life, and now even dictates the medical care mums-to-be are choosing.
The number of Irish mums-to-be refusing to pay the cost of private hospital care has plummeted since the recession hit.
More and more expecting parents are taking the cheaper option and using public maternity services.
This huge fall-off means the cost of private and semi-private care at some of the country’s top maternity centres has soared in recent years.
The HSE warns mums-to-be and says the fall in people requesting private care means the demand for public services has increased without them receiving any additional services.
At the Rotunda in Dublin, the number of women who had babies on a private or semi-private basis dropped from 3,040 to 2,874 last year.
The Coombe figures have fallen from a high of 2,065 to 1,191 and The National Maternity Hospital on Holles Street saw a drop from 1,869 to 1,295 mums.
The statistics show the number of private patients who had their babies with private or semi-private care at the Mid-Western Regional Maternity Hospital in Limerick fell from 2,501 to 1,797 the same year.
The fall-off in people using private care during their pregnancy means the costs in private care have rocketed. The National Maternity Hospital on Holles Street, Dublin has more than doubled its non-refundable deposit from €500 in 2010 to €1,200. The Rotunda is charging parents-to-be a deposit of €1,200, up from €800 in 2009.
The Irish Mirror said that as budget-watching mums opt to go public, it is hitting the already cash-strapped service.
The reduced private activity has had an obvious knock-on effect on hospital budgets as the income from the patients has fallen.
Seems like a lot of mums are opting for the budget-friendly choice…
