Pregnant women are still denied specialist health care
PREGNANT WOMEN and new mothers in a quarter of the UK still cannot access specialist perinatal mental health services, according to new research.
The Maternal Mental Health Alliance (MMHA), a coalition of organisations involved in the mental health and wellbeing of pregnant and new mothers, has published a series of maps highlighting the areas which are best and worst for access to the specialist services.
According to the group, pregnant women and new mothers in 24 per cent of the UK still have no access to specialist perinatal mental health services. It said despite improvements, women and families still face a “postcode lottery” of care.
Around one in 10 women develop a mental illness during pregnancy or within the first year after having a baby.
The MMHA said specialist perinatal mental health services can “save lives” as well as improve the quality of life for pregnant women, new mothers and their babies.
In England there appears to be significant improvements compared to previous years. Although not directly comparable, a report from the National Childbirth Trust (NCT) last year suggested in 2014, only three per cent of local health bodies had a perinatal mental health strategy in place and most NHS trusts do not provide any perinatal mental health service.
But the latest map shows that in England 51 per cent of areas are green, which means specialist perinatal mental health services are available for women in that area.
Dr Alain Gregoire, of the Maternal Mental Health Alliance, said: “Over 10 years ago national guidelines said that specialist perinatal mental health services should be available for all women who need them.”
Gill Walton, chief executive and general secretary of the Royal College of Midwives, said: “There have been improvements and we are making progress but there is still much, much more to be done.”
NHS England’s spokesman said: “As recently as 2014 only three per cent of the country had good access to perinatal mental health care, and as the MMHA itself acknowledges, services have since expanded significantly.”