‘Specialist perinatal mental health (PMH) services’ provide life-saving care to women and birthing people impacted by severe or complex mental health problems during and after pregnancy.
Each nation has made a clear commitment to addressing gaps in specialist PMH care for new and expectant mothers, leading to increased levels of provision across the UK. Though the progress is fantastic, it has been uneven and there is still a postcode lottery.
See the full 2023 briefing
Mother and Baby Units (MBUs) support both mum and baby when inpatient psychiatric treatment for severe maternal mental illness is needed. MBUs are specifically designed to maintain the mother-infant relationship while providing care.
Currently, MBUs accept women who are in the later stages of pregnancy and at any point in the postnatal period up until their baby turns one.
There are clear UK guidelines setting out that specialist services for women who meet the threshold are vital. As well as providing life-saving care, specialist PMH services also:
At a time when demands on mental health services are so high, it is vital that commitment to specialist PMH services remains, and progress is sustained.
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