Perinatal Mental Health

Debate between Baroness Merron and Baroness Berger

Wednesday 25th June 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Berger]

To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the spending on perinatal mental health services in England in the financial year 2024-25.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health and Social Care (Baroness Merron) (Lab)]

My Lords, this Government recognise the importance of perinatal mental health services. Spending on specialist community perinatal mental health services continued to increase in 2024-25. The latest NHS figures show that integrated care boards spent £212 million that year, which is an increase of £18 million from 2023 to 2024. This does not include spending on mother and baby units. The final spend for those in 2024-25 is not yet available, but £58 million was spent in 2023-24.

[Baroness Berger (Lab)]

I thank my noble friend the Minister for her reply and declare my interest as chair of the Maternal Mental Health Alliance. It is heartening to hear the Government’s assessment that there have not been any real terms cuts to perinatal mental health services this year. That is in spite of evidence from the Royal College of Psychiatrists. I listened very closely to what my noble friend said. She will know that maternal suicide remains the leading cause of maternal death in this country six weeks to a year after birth. Will the Government look to reintroduce the target to increase access to perinatal mental health care, which was dropped from the 2025-26 NHS planning guidance, to ensure that commissioners do not divert funds elsewhere?

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

I pay tribute to my noble friend for her work as the chair of the Maternal Mental Health Alliance. I share her great concerns about the rate of suicide among new mothers in particular. The NHS planning guidance is not an exhaustive list of everything the NHS does. I am sure my noble friend will remember that the Darzi review highlighted that one of the problems in the NHS was too many targets. We have reduced the number of national priorities by focusing on what matters most to patients but, as my noble friend acknowledged, maternity funding has not been cut. Indeed, healthcare systems leaders now have more autonomy to meet the demands of their local populations.

Care Quality Commission: Mental Health Care Waiting Times

Debate between Baroness Merron and Baroness Berger

Thursday 8th May 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

I thank the noble Baroness for raising her experience with her family. It is clear that patients are individual people and they need to be cared for and communicated with in the way that is appropriate to them. So I am sorry to hear what she reports; that is not what we expect. If she has not already provided the details, I will be pleased to look into the matter she raises, because it has repercussions across the whole system, as she rightly says.

[Baroness Berger (Lab)]

My Lords, the overwhelming majority of mental health conditions start in childhood and adolescence, and we need to do everything to give those children and young people the very best start in life. Yet, regrettably, we know that there are 35,000 children in this country who have been on a waiting list for two years or more. I listened closely to my noble friend on the excellent work that this Government are doing with the support teams in schools, but for those children and young people who have met the threshold for services, what more can be done to alleviate these unacceptable waits?

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

I pay tribute to my noble friend for her contribution in supporting awareness and improved mental health, not just for young people but in maternity settings and across all mental health services. This morning I was at Alexandra Park School, where I saw what I regard as the exemplar for what my noble friend is talking about, because we need to prevent mental ill-health in young people. That is why we are extending the mental health support teams to ensure that every school has that available. While that is being developed, funding is available for mental health leads in schools. We are also working with local areas to ensure that they meet their obligations to the local community, which of course includes young people. I also feel that our Young Futures hubs will make a big difference. I agree with her: we have inherited a difficult position, but I assure your Lordships’ House that we are working to make progress, particularly for young people.