FRIMLEY PARK Hospital will soon be launching a maternal mental health programme.
It joins four other sites across the South East that have secured £1,534,000 of funding.
Care provided by specialist perinatal mental health services will be available from preconception to24 months after birth.
One in four women experience mental health problems during this time frame.
The consequences of not accessing high-quality perinatal mental health care are estimated to cost the NHS and social care £1.2 billion per year.
For the first time, there will be specific mental health therapies available for women with moderate, severe or complex mental health difficulties associated with loss and trauma directly arising from, or related to, their maternity experience.
Jenny Hughes, regional chief midwife for NHS England and NHS Improvement’s South East region said: “This is a fantastic step forward for maternal services in the region.
“We know that pregnancy and post birth can be difficult for some women and these new services will have a positive impact across the South East.”
Five years ago, 40% of the country had no access to specialist perinatal mental healthcare. Now, there are specialist community perinatal mental health services in each of the 44 local NHS areas.
By next year, at least 66,000 women with moderate, severe and complex perinatal mental health difficulties will have access to specialist community care from preconception to 24 months.
