Women and their partners across Cheshire and Merseyside who have experienced perinatal loss, trauma and distress as a result of their maternity or neonatal journey are set to benefit from a community-led Maternal Mental Health Service.
The proposed model has been informed and shaped by families who are experts by experience. Based on current research and best practice, this is set to benefit women who experience mental health problems during pregnancy, or in the first two years after birth.
The model will be delivered via clinical psychologists, assistant psychologists, midwives, maternity support workers, and peer support – drawing together local expertise and a range of services as required.
As well as providing support to mothers and their partners, the MMHS pilot will also focus on prevention, with an emphasis on training, supervision, upskilling of staff and community engagement; with the development of ‘family-facing’ pathways across the patch.
Dr Ruth O’Shaughnessy, Consultant Clinical Psychologist / Clinical Lead commented: “Pregnancy and the arrival of a new baby is a special time for families, but when things don’t go to plan it can have a lasting impact on mums, partners, babies and the whole family.
“The pandemic has impacted everyone, perhaps particularly those families preparing for childbirth and/or becoming parents, with more people coming forward seeking support after a difficult or devastating maternity experience. Getting this right for families is so important; therefore, we are delighted that Cheshire and Merseyside has been selected as a pilot site, with much thanks to local families who were pivotal in producing the local MMHS offer.”
The Maternal Mental Health Service (MMHS) pilot will be hosted by Liverpool Women’s Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and is the result of a regional collaborative between the Local Maternity System Board, North West Coast Clinical Network, and the Specialist Perinatal Service, which was successful in securing transformation funding from NHS England.
The service will be implemented in a phased approach across Cheshire and Merseyside later this year with an aim to support collaborative working between maternity and mental health across the region.
Gemma Taylor, Interim Chair at Chester Maternity Voices Partnership, commented: “This service will be transformational. What happens to a person during pregnancy and birth has a lasting and generational effect. The care provided through this service will support families to thrive and flourish.”
Once fully established across Cheshire and Merseyside, the service will be embedded as part of the maternity care package for women, so that support is automatically offered to those who may need it.