Merntal Health Services: Mothers
(asked on 20th June 2023) - View Source
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will include birth trauma in the Women's Health Strategy in the future.
Answered by
Maria Caulfield
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The Women’s Health Strategy sets out our plans for boosting the health and wellbeing of women and girls, and for improving how the health and care system listens to women. Fertility, pregnancy, pregnancy loss and postnatal support, and mental health and wellbeing, are both priority areas in the strategy.
As set out in the strategy, NHS England is improving perinatal mental health support. Mental health services around England are being expanded to include new mental health “hubs” for new, expectant or bereaved mothers. The 33 new maternal mental health services will provide psychological therapy, maternity services and reproductive health for women with mental health needs following trauma or loss related to their maternity experience. These will be available across England by March 2024.
In addition, specialist Community Perinatal Mental Health Services care will be available from preconception to 24 months after birth by 2023/24, with increased access to evidence-based psychological therapies.