By Your Side service expanding to support patients in mid Essex

A maternal mental health service, provided by Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (EPUT), is expanding to support more people across Essex.

This week is Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week, and we're reminding everyone that By Your Side, provided in collaboration with midwifery colleagues, offers therapeutic care and grief therapy for women and birthing parents who have experienced a perinatal loss.

The service launched across south west Essex last October and it now supports patients registered with GPs in south west, south east and west Essex. From Tuesday 7 May, it will also support those in mid Essex.

Find more information on GP locations on the EPUT website. It is hoped the service will become countywide by June this year.

By Your Side is the first specialist psychological and therapeutic service for perinatal loss in Essex. It supports women who have experienced a miscarriage at any stage of their pregnancy, stillbirth, neonatal death or planned termination, and have been significantly affected by the loss.

By Your Side can currently support patients aged 18 and above. The service offers a mix of video consultations, telephone appointments, face-to-face assessments and treatment in perinatal hubs and home visits based on the patient’s needs.

Members of the public who feel they would benefit from a referral should speak to their midwife, GP, health visitor, social worker, mental health service or support charity.

To find out more about the service and other support available for family members and loved ones, please visit eput.nhs.uk/byyourside