Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he is taking steps to increase the number of mother and baby units in mental health hospitals.

Since April 2019, there has been a specialist community perinatal mental health service in every integrated care system area in England. Under the NHS Long Term Plan, at least 66,000 women with moderate to severe or complex perinatal mental health issues are expected to have access to these services from pre-conception to 24 months by March 2024.

Work continues nationally to deliver a 49% increase in mother & baby unit bed capacity over 2015/16, representing a total of 164 beds, as committed to in response to the five-year forward view for mental health. So far NHS England has commissioned an additional 19 mother and baby units through National Health Service mental health trusts, with a total of 160 beds across England.