New Specialist Mental Health Service for Essex Mums

Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust has launched its new Perinatal Mental Health Service.

The Perinatal Mental Health Service will provide specialist community based care and support for women in the perinatal period (from conception to the baby’s first birthday) who are experiencing, or are at risk of developing a serious mental health condition such as; depression, postpartum psychosis, anxiety disorders including post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, bipolar affective disorder and complex traumas. Support and guidance will also be available for women with a diagnosed mental illness who are considering becoming pregnant.

The service has been launched following a successful bid for funding from the NHS England ‘perinatal mental health community services development fund’. Development of the new service has involved remodelling and expanding the previously existing team in the South East of Essex to include South West Essex, and establishing a new hub to cover the North of the county. Each hub is made up of a number of specialists in perinatal adult mental health, including: mental health nurses, a consultant psychiatrist and a clinical psychologist.

Dr Rina Gupta, Consultant Perinatal Psychiatrist has said “Our Women in Essex have needed this service. With a birth rate of approximately 23,000, and around 1 in 5 women experiencing a mental health problem in the perinatal period, it is expected that there will be a large number of women and their families requiring our specialist guidance and support to steer them through this very vulnerable time. ”

Women with personal experience of perinatal mental health issues have been involved throughout the development of the new service. One of these women, who has asked to remain anonymous, has said “ When I developed a severe perinatal mental illness, it took a long time to find a professional with the knowledge and training to help me, as a service like this did not exist. The new specialist service is so important because it will allow women to quickly access the support they need at such a vulnerable time. Only when you have experienced perinatal mental illness yourself, can you truly understand what it is like, and what help you need. As the service has worked closely with women like me, who have this experience, I hope this will allow them to better help the women that they will be supporting.”

The new service will develop close links across  the wide range of services available to pregnant women and new mums, and will work closely with professionals such as GP’s, midwives, health visitors and obstetricians. The Perinatal Mental Health Service will also work with the Trust’s Rainbow Mother and Baby Unit, which is a mental health inpatient unit, to help identify women who may be suitable for admission, and to support women who are leaving the care of the unit to transition back into the community.

Dr Alain Gregoire, founder and chair of the Maternal Mental Health Alliance has said ‘'I am delighted to see that women and families in Essex will be able to access excellent specialist perinatal mental health care if they need it, and to see the long-standing and ongoing energy and commitment everyone is putting into improving care across the whole pathway.”

Dr Rina Gupta, Consultant Perinatal Psychiatrist has said “With an increase in awareness amongst the public of mental health problems during pregnancy and the post-natal period, and the impact they have on a woman and her whole family, it is great news that Essex, following a successful bid has launched its specialist Community Perinatal Mental health service. Our team, with its dedicated staff will endeavour to provide an excellent and safe service to all of the women we see, so as to promote their mental wellbeing and improve long term outcomes for the family unit as a whole.”

For further information please visit the Perinatal Mental Health Service webpage:

https://eput.nhs.uk/our-services/perinatal-mental-health-service/