Everyone’s Business Campaign calls for urgent action to Turn The Map Green

The Everyone’s Business Campaign has launched a dotted version of its existing UK map which shows areas in receipt of dedicated funding for specialist community perinatal mental health services and highlights the shocking gaps which still exist across the country.

The dots on the map celebrate which Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) in England and Health Boards in Wales have received funding. The map also clearly shows which areas of the country are currently lacking. Northern Ireland and Scotland are sadly missing completely from this version of the map. To date, there has been no additional dedicated funding announced for specialist perinatal mental health services by these governments.

Across the country, there continues to be a postcode lottery for women and their families as to whether they can access specialist perinatal mental health services.  The Everyone’s Business Campaign calls for the map to Turn Green – as a matter of urgency – across all four nations; for women and families wherever they live to be able to receive the same levels of specialist support and treatment, as outlined in NICE and SIGN Guidelines. In England, there is a precious window of opportunity to receive the necessary funding to do this right now – CCGs without a dot need to be urged to get ready to apply for Wave 2 funding from NHS England in 2018.

Please note: The Red – Amber – Green -rated colour of each area currently remains unchanged from the previous Campaign map in order to give time for areas in receipt of funding to recruit new staff and establish new services. The team will be revisiting the original colour coding and will be able to share an updated map (hopefully showing positive change) in 2018.

Five ways to use the dotted UK map to campaign for change

1. Share the map with local decision makers, opinion leaders etc. either to celebrate progress to date in your area or to show why services need urgent improvement

2. Use the map on social media to highlight where funding for services is still needed using #everyonesbusiness

3. If you are in England and your area has not yet received dedicated funding, make sure it applies for NHS England Wave 2 funding (soon to be announced) as a matter of urgency.

4. If you are in Wales, use the map to celebrate being the only UK nation to have currently ensured new specialist perinatal mental health funding for each of its areas/Health Boards. However, ask searching questions. Is the money provided enough to actually Turn The Map Green in Wales (especially beyond Cardiff)? Will there continue to be a postcode lottery?

5. If you are in Northern Ireland or Scotland, use the map to highlight why these areas are currently missing because – to date – there has been no additional dedicated funding for specialist perinatal mental health community services.

Download the dotted version of the existing UK campaign map here which can be found on our website.