Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many clinical commissioning groups have a perinatal mental health strategy.

Details of which clinical commissioning groups have a perinatal mental health strategy are not collected centrally.

A National Childbirth Trust survey published in 2014 found that out of 194 CCGs questioned, 5 CCGs (3%) said they have a strategy for providing perinatal mental health services. A further 34 (18%) said they are developing or planning to develop a strategy.

However, NHS England will, through its Maternity and Children Strategic Clinical Networks, support the continued development of maternity and perinatal mental health networks to drive improvements to access, quality of care and inter-service communication. This will enhance the experience of women and families generally, and more specifically for the large numbers of women who are at risk of poor mental health during pregnancy and following childbirth.

Specialised Perinatal Mental Health Services (mother and baby units) are part of a wider network of Perinatal Mental Health services and the commissioning of the ‘specialist’ (local) and ‘specialised’ (national) pathway is a responsibility shared between NHS England, clinical commissioning groups and local authorities.

Health Education England is working with partners to ensure that pre and post registration training in perinatal mental health is available to enable specialist staff to be available to every birthing unit by 2017.