Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to expand access to (a) neonatal outreach services and (b) specialist perinatal mental health support for families of preterm babies following hospital discharge.

From 1 April 2025, commissioning responsibilities for neonatal services in England have been delegated to the integrated care boards (ICBs). The neonatal service specification sets out the standards for neonatal provision. It states that a neonatal unit-based outreach service, or other designated neonatal unit staff, should coordinate pre-discharge planning for complex or long stay patients or patients with any safeguarding concerns.

ICBs are encouraged to develop locally tailored plans to expand access to neonatal outreach and specialist mental health services. The neonatal specification also outlines that clinical psychologists have a role in providing specialist psychological assessments and interventions to support the mental health of babies and families.

In addition to this, NHS England’s guidance sets out that all women who have given birth should be offered a postnatal check-up with their general practitioner (GP) after six to eight weeks. This check-up provides an important opportunity for women to be listened to by their GP in a discreet, supportive environment, and for women to be assessed and supported not just in their physical recovery post-birth, but also their mental health.