Mental health hubs to support new and bereaved mothers
We are delighted to learn that new mental health centres will support new, expectant and bereaved mothers.
The hubs will offer maternity services, reproductive health and psychological therapy.
NHS England plans to open 26 sites by April 2022, beginning with:
Birmingham & Solihull
Shropshire Telford & Wrekin
South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw
Lancashire and South Cumbria
Kent and Medway
Responding to these widespread emotional problems is aligned both to our upcoming event sharing the latest research-based understanding on perinatal mental health as well as our mission to reduce baby loss. As our charity's chairman, Lord Winston, commented: "Here is a good example of where prevention should be much better than treatment after an unnecessary miscarriage or stillbirth. The real need will be encourage better diagnosis, and much better obstetric care so that many of these women are not bereaved or mourning in the first place. We could start with better education for GPs."
Co-chair of our maternal mental health event, Dr. Alain Gregoire, commented today on Woman's Hour, "With physical health during maternity, we've long understood it's important to have good care. We simply haven't had that with mental health even though mental health problems are more common than physical problems in maternity and more devastating…"
The event's other co-chair, Professor Vivette Glover added that the NHS announcement "shows the power of advocacy and the work of our [event co-]chair and speaker Alain Gregoire" and "recognises the importance of mental health all through the perinatal period, not just postnatal depression".
NHS opening 26 mental health hubs to support new and bereaved mothers, Independent, 7.4.2021
NHS England to set up 26 mental health hubs to support new and bereaved mothers, but many say it's overdue, iNews, 6.4.2021
Mental health: More help for new and expectant mothers in England, BBC, 6.4.2021