Take action

Action is now needed to secure these vital services across the UK!


Courtesy of Sussex and East Surrey Specialist perinatal mental health service

Perinatal mental health has moved up the political agenda in recent years and funding has been allocated by governments in England and Wales for specialist perinatal mental health services.  However, decisions about whether and how much to invest money is increasingly being taken at a local level.  The Everyone’s Business campaign needs your support to ensure local decision makers, providers and commissioners heed the Call to ACT NOW.

Below are some of the ways you can take action on behalf of the women and families in your area. Local champions across all parts of the UK are needed to influence service provision by ensuring decision makers in every nation, region and locality of the UK urgently invest in perinatal mental health provision:

    1. Get in touch if there is an upcoming strategic event or meeting in your local area where campaign materials / presentations can feature – or if you have any other ideas for how the campaign can support: info@everyonesbusiness.org.uk
    2. Use our campaign maps to identify the level of specialist perinatal mental health service provision in your area; share this with local decision makers, alongside the reasons why specialist services act as a catalyst for change across the whole pathway
    3. Share your area’s starting point and feature images of the maps on social media (#everyonesbusiness) and within local media to highlight where funding for services is still needed or indeed to celebrate progress to date and inspire other
    4. Include the costs of perinatal mental illness and real life stories when explaining to decision makers what is needed in your area. From the campaign’s independent Evaluation report summary (phase 1) we know this combination of winning hearts and minds is a key driver of change
    5. Know the Office of National Statistics’ annual birth rate for your area. This helps to work out the size of service your area requires and even where it should be located. Areas with a birth rate of less than 6,000 babies per year may need to join with neighbouring areas to commission a joint pathway of care
    6. Share models of good practice with decision makers, providers and commissioners in your area.  On a national and local level, models of good practice and guidance for specialist perinatal mental health services have been established.  Please see examples below.
    7. Donate to the Maternal Mental Health Alliance to help us continue our work and ensure every woman gets the right treatment at the right time.

National

Local