Nationwide specialist mental health support for new mums

NHS England has announced that new and expectant mothers across the country can now access specialist mental health care in the area where they live.

The rollout of specialist perinatal community services across the whole of England means that mums and mums-to-be who are experiencing anxiety, depression or other forms of mental ill health should be able to access high quality care much closer to home.

Only five years ago, five parts of the country had no access to specialist community perinatal mental health treatment. However, there is now full geographical coverage for the first time, with services in every one of the 44 local NHS areas, and plans to develop them further.

The expansion comes alongside the opening of four new Mother and Baby Units (MBUs), which mean that the most seriously ill women can receive residential care without being separated from their babies in every region. NHS England has already funded four new MBUs in areas of the country which historically struggled to access specialist inpatient services close to home.

MBUs support women who are experiencing the most severe forms of mental ill health to stay with their babies, helping them to bond at a critical time, while receiving around the clock care, treatment and support. All four new MBUs are now offering care – three eight bedded units have opened in Kent, Lancashire and in East Anglia, with a further unit in Devon open. NHS England plans to increase the national capacity further to more than 160 beds – providing specialist inpatient care and treatment to mums, without separation from their babies.

Claire Murdoch, NHS national mental health director, said: “Mental ill health during pregnancy or that affects bonding with a new baby can be devastating, which is why the NHS has invested in better care for expectant and new mums, with at least 9,000 extra women getting treatment last year.

“As well as expanding access to world-leading talking therapy for anyone who needs it – the NHS Long Term Plan is further ramping up specialist perinatal care for every part of the country, offering tailored support to dads and partners and extending care to cover the first two years of a child’s life.”

The expansion to the community teams is a key plank of wider plans to transform perinatal services. By 2023/4 an additional 54,000 women each year with moderate and complex, to severe mental health difficulties should get the right care, at the right time and as close to home as possible.

Emily Slater, campaign director at the Maternal Mental Health Alliance, said: “The Maternal Mental Health Alliance’s (MMHA) Everyone’s Business campaign welcomes the opening of specialist perinatal mental health services in the remaining areas of England, meaning women should now be able to access life-saving care in their local area. We look forward to working closely with NHS England to ensure these services are of the highest quality and sustainable across the whole country to meet the needs of women and families.”