Mum and baby unit plan on hold after budget cuts
Campaigners’ dismay over uncertainty
A new specialist unit for new mothers suffering mental health problems has been delayed by Scottish Government budget cuts, campaigners warn.
Ministers told MSPS in January that a mother and baby unit in the north-east of Scotland was being actively considered but, within weeks, announced all NHS Scotland building projects were being frozen for two years.
The Sunday Post exposed a postcode lottery in perinatal mental health care last month with the only specialist mother and baby NHS facility being in the Central Belt and worrying gaps in care, particularly in rural areas.
A petition by Margaret Reid, whose sister suffered severe perinatal mental health problems, calls for better specialist care.
Her MSP, Tess White, has supported her campaign but says the petition was lodged a year ago and the delay and lack of action since then has dismayed her.
She said: “Margaret has shared with me her concern and frustration that the Scottish Government seems no further forward on progressing these issues.
“More than one in five women will experience a perinatal mental health problem, so it is vital there is the right support in place, wherever you live and for as long as it is needed.”
White warned the freeze in NHS Scotland spending and cuts to mental health budgets will mean slow progress being made to secure better services for women suffering conditions, including postnatal depression, anxiety disorders, and postpartum psychosis, is in danger of stalling.
She said ministers had written to MSPS in January to confirm proposals for a new specialist mother and baby unit in the north-east were still being considered.
However, she said: “In February, the Scottish Government put NHS building projects on hold for up to two years citing budgetary pressures, meaning there is further uncertainty.”
Margaret was so dismayed by the treatment offered to her sister Lesley Mcarthur that she began campaigning for greater care for pregnant women and new mothers across the country. Lesley has also spoken out to call for improvement.
Her petition calls for national standards of care in every health board; a new mother and baby unit in the north-east; family liaison services at general psychiatric units; and, in particular, the extension of specialist support for new mothers after their baby is 12 months old.
Margaret said: “The cut-off point seems so arbitrary, so sudden. If new mothers need specialist help the day after their baby’s first birthday, they are treated in an adult mental health unit and separated from their child.”
The Scottish Government said: “It is crucial that all women and their families have access to good mental healthcare throughout pregnancy and the postnatal period. We have made substantial investment in perinatal and infant mental health services since 2019, with over £10 million in this year alone.
“This funding is delivering improvements to perinatal and infant mental health services and support for parents, infants and families in every health board area.
“In addition, the latest round from the Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Fund, of up to £1.5 million to March 2025, was announced in March. The fund is designed to increase access to parenting and infant support, peer support and counselling or psychological support within the community.”