Maternity

As The Fitzrovia Suite is situated within a large multi-specialty hospital, you can be reassured that we can offer you the very best and most comprehensive care during your stay.

You can have peace of mind knowing that you and your baby will have immediate 24-hour access to the hospital’s specialist services, should they be needed. This includes our special baby care unit (SCBU), our 32-bedded neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and our adult intensive care unit.

The Fitzrovia Suite has the advantage of being located on the same site as the hospital’s “level 3” NICU, which means we have all the facilities to offer specialist care for the sickest and most premature babies. UCLH’s specialist Fetal Medicine Unit (FMU) also provides expert care if you are expecting a multiple pregnancy or if your baby is expected to have any complex needs. We also have the back up of UCLH’s specialist teams from other medical disciplines on site, so there would never be a need to transfer you to an alternative hospital during your stay.

Your chosen consultant will be on hand to support you throughout your pregnancy and birth. UCLH is one of the largest research centres for fetal and maternal care in the UK, and many of our consultants are internationally recognised experts and innovators in their field.

Our consultant obstetricians are highly experienced in supporting all kinds of births, whether you are expecting a straightforward birth, or if any complication develops during pregnancy.  If you have any concerns during your pregnancy you will be able to contact your private consultant obstetrician who will be ready to support you.

Mr George Attilakos, Consultant in obstetrics and fetal medicine 

Mr George Attilakos is the lead clinician for the Maternal Fetal Assessment Unit (MFAU) at University College Hospital. In addition to looking after single pregnancies, Mr Attilakos specialises in looking after complicated and uncomplicated multiple pregnancies.

He has a special interest in postgraduate medical education and is the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists’ college tutor for UCLH. He has co-developed a national course for teaching operative birth skills to junior obstetricians.

Miss Shalini Chawla, Consultant obstetrician

Miss Shalini Chawla has been a consultant obstetrician since 2016 and is the postnatal lead at UCLH. She works regularly on the labour ward covering both emergencies and elective work. Her background is in postgraduate training in obstetrics and gynaecology (UK) and general surgery (India), with advanced training in maternal medicine. 

Miss Chawla is passionate about empowering women to make informed choices and runs the antenatal clinic at UCLH offering various options available to them. Kind and empathetic, she provides a high level of care supporting women through pregnancy, birth and the postnatal period. 

Mr Joseph Iskaros, Consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist

Mr Joseph Iskaros is a senior consultant in obstetrics and gynaecology as well as an honorary senior lecturer at UCLH NHS Foundation Trust. He received his training in London prior to becoming a specialist in 2001. As well as being a practicing doctor in general obstetrics and normal deliveries, Mr Iskaros specialises in managing surgical problems in pregnancy including placenta praevia, placenta accreta, fibroids, uterine anomalies, ovarian cysts, 3rd degree tears and multiple pregnancies.

He has been a fellow of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists since 2005.

Prof Eric Jauniaux, Consultant in obstetrics and gynaecology

Professor Eric Jauniaux (MD, PhD, FRCOG) is a senior consultant obstetrician- gynaecologist and clinical academic at UCL with specialist training in maternal and fetal medicine. His main area of clinical and academic interest and expertise include early pregnancy complications, placental-related disease of pregnancy, twin pregnancies, IVF pregnancies and the long-term outcome of caesarean deliveries. He is the author/co-author of 14 international text-books and over 400 peer-reviewed publications on his specialist areas.

Ms Nikki Lack, Consultant obstetrician

Ms Nikki Lack has been a consultant obstetrician at UCLH since 2012 and has been the NHS labour ward lead since 2019. She works regularly on the labour ward covering both emergencies and elective work. She has a background in maternal medicine and works within the diabetes team and is also the clinical guidelines lead.

Ms Lack is passionate about birth experience and communication and she runs the birth reflections clinic at UCLH, giving post-natal women a chance to discuss and reflect upon their birth experience. She is kind, empathetic and approachable and provides women with a high level of care.

Mr Pat O’Brien, Consultant in obstetrics and gynaecology

Mr Pat O’Brien has been a consultant and honorary senior lecturer in obstetrics and gynaecology at UCLH since 1999.

Mr O’Brien specialises in maternal medicine and high-risk obstetrics, and jointly runs a multi-disciplinary antenatal clinic involving consultants in fetal medicine, cardiology, haematology, diabetes, anaesthesia, and an obstetric physician. He has a particular interest in medical complications of pregnancy.

He lectures widely in the UK and abroad, and runs courses on fetal monitoring, medical problems on the delivery suite, psychiatric problems and cardiac disorders in pregnancy.

Mr Daniel Stott, Consultant in obstetrics

Daniel Stott is the lead clinician for fetal monitoring at UCLH. He has established a dedicated antenatal hypertension clinic at UCLH, caring for women with pre-eclampsia and associated disorders. 

He leads fetal medicine clinics at UCLH’s fetal medicine unit. He is an honorary lecturer at UCL. 

Mr Stott has subspecialty accreditation in maternal and fetal medicine and completed his training as a senior registrar and subspecialist at UCLH. He places women's wellbeing at the heart of his practice.

Mr Seni Subair, Consultant in obstetrics

Mr Seni Subair specialises in labour ward leadership, maternal medicine and high-risk obstetrics. He jointly runs multi-disciplinary antenatal clinics with consultants in diabetes and endocrinology, psychiatry and an obstetric physician. He has a particular interest in complicated pregnancies and regularly teaches on the ‘advanced life support in obstetrics’ course.

He is chair of the maternity services clinical guidelines and labour care governance committees at UCLH. He is a member of the British Maternal and Fetal Medicine Society.

Mr Ruwan Wimalasundera, Consultant in obstetrics and fetal medicine

Mr Ruwan Wimalasundera manages all aspects of pregnancy including low-risk and high-risk pregnancies especially in older mothers, and multiple pregnancies. He believes strongly in giving mothers a positive pregnancy and birth experience, whether it’s a normal delivery or a caesarean. He is considered one of the UK’s leading specialists in the management of multiple pregnancies. He is a national maternity improvement advisor for NHS England, where he works on improvements with maternity units around England to allow them to achieve national standards.

He has published many studies and is involved in writing national guidelines produced by organisations such as the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, NICE and MBRRACE. 

At The Fitzrovia Suite we are able to support parents who wish to have either a vaginal birth (which will take place in one of our two newly built private delivery rooms) or a planned caesarean section. Together, we will explore all the choices that are safe for you and your baby and our team will support you to have the birth experience that you want.

We offer a wide range of pain relief options which you can discuss prior to your birth with your consultant. You can also discuss options with one of our highly qualified pain relief specialists (consultant anaesthetists) who will be available to you during your labour.

After your birth you will be able to enjoy the benefits of your private postnatal room, which gives you and your baby a hotel-quality experience while maintaining the highest infection control standards to keep you both safe. 

Your room will include all the hotel extras you should expect, including a mini fridge, safe, television and free wifi.

There is also space for your partner to stay with you (subject to the latest hospital visitor guidance), so that you can enjoy those precious early moments as a family.

During your stay you will be able choose from a wide range of delicious catering options including vegan, vegetarian, halal and kosher meals.

Your baby is as individual as you are, and will come with their own unique challenges for you to get to grips with in your first few hours and days together.

Our team of dedicated private midwives will be there to support you and your family. Many of our new parents are keen to get support with feeding, and UCLH is one of only two hospitals in London to receive full accreditation in UNICEF's prestigious Baby Friendly Award. This recognises our work in ensuring mothers and babies receive high quality support to enable breastfeeding. We can also offer advice on bottle feeding if this is your preference, and also on changing and bathing your newborn.

When you leave the hospital we will make sure you are discharged under the care of your local NHS community midwife, who will help you to settle into family life. One of our midwives will also call you after you have been discharged to make sure everything is going well and to make sure you have been contacted by your local team.
 

Our private birth package costs are highly competitive and include every aspect of a standard delivery including theatre and routine inpatient drug costs, a midwife-led baby check, one night of accommodation, midwifery care, and meals for yourself and your partner.  A partner or friend will also be able to stay in the room with you at no extra cost*

Please be aware that our fees exclude consultant obstetrician and anaesthetist fees, which will vary depending on which consultant you choose for your care. You will need to agree these directly with your consultants.

*subject to latest hospital visitor guidance

All profits from private maternity care at UCLH are reinvested back into our wider NHS maternity service, meaning that UCLH parents-to-be and their babies will benefit as a result of your choice of birth venue.

We offer tours of The Fitzrovia Private Maternity Suite on Monday to Friday between 9-5, bookable by request. However, these timings can be flexible if required.

During your visit you will have the chance to see one of our postnatal rooms and the delivery suite (if available). You will also get a chance meet some of the team and to ask any questions you might have. The tour will take approximately 30 – 45 minutes.

If you would like to book a tour, please email us at uclh.fitzroviasuite.wh@nhs.net

For mothers who have previously had a baby with UCLH Private Healthcare and will be self-paying for care, we are delighted to offer a 10 per cent reduction on the standard delivery packages.

UCLH Private Healthcare also offers a specialised pregnancy travel advice service.

For further information please visit our travel clinic page.