Posted By: Amy Tubb
8th February 2020
1 minute read
Last week, MMHA member NCT were able to celebrate after hearing the news that NHS England and the British Medical Association have agreed to fund a six-week assessment for mums under the new GP contract. They won’t have to wait long for the change either, as plans come into effect from April 2020.
NCT has campaigned for a dedicated health-check for new mothers after their #HiddenHalf research showed that nearly half (47%) of new mums get less than three minutes to discuss their own health at postnatal appointments with their doctor.
It’s fantastic news that NHS England has responded to our calls for better postnatal mental health checks. This is a huge step forward and means more new mothers will be supported to talk about their mental health problems and get the help they need.
Angela McConville, NCT’s Chief Executive
While acknowledging there is a huge amount more to do to improve detection and treatment of perinatal mental illness, NCT see this as significant progress towards helping more mothers get access to support. For now, plans only cover England but they are pushing for this to be rolled out across the UK.
The MMHA has worked closely with NCT in support of the #HiddenHalf campaign, alongside experts by experience, maternity and maternal mental health professionals and fellow member organisations. NCT have thanked the sector for getting behind their calls and working together to achieve this positive result for women and families.
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