Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of including maternal post-natal mental health checks in the next GP contract.
The potential for a six-week post-natal maternal health check for all mothers is the subject of further work by NHS England and NHS Improvement.
Decisions on changes to the general practitioner (GP) contract for 2020/21 will be made following negotiations between NHS England and the British Medical Association (BMA). NHS England will soon start formal negotiations with the General Practitioner Committee of the BMA on the 2020/21 GP contract.
Support from health visitors and other professionals at the universal 6-8 week review is an important time for assessing the health and wellbeing of new parents, particularly in looking for signs of postnatal depression.