Dedicated mental health ‘hubs’ for new, expectant and bereaved mums are being set up across England as part of the NHS Long Term Plan to increase access to psychological support for women.
The 26 new hubs – ten of which will be up and running within months – will bring together maternity services, reproductive health and psychological therapy under one roof. The remainder will be open by April 2022, and every area will have one by April 2024.
NHS England said that around 6,000 women will receive care and treatment for a wide range of mental health issues from post-traumatic stress disorder after giving birth to others with a severe fear of childbirth, as part of the pilots, by the end of 2021/22.
As well as offering psychological therapies for new and expectant mums, the clinics will also provide training for maternity staff and midwives.
Five years ago, 40 per cent of the country had no access to specialist perinatal mental health care. However, specialist community perinatal mental health services are now available in each of the 44 local NHS areas and more than 30,000 women were seen in specialist perinatal mental health community services in 2019/20.
It is estimated that it costs the NHS and social care sector £1.2 billion per year where women do not access high-quality perinatal mental health services.
Source Nursery World.