Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what proportion of midwives are trained to provide mothers with mental health support.

The Government is committed to giving mothers the support and care they need throughout their pregnancy, birth and after birth. Safety and high quality care for mothers are at the heart of maternity services.

Health Education England’s (HEE) Mandate requires it to build knowledge and competence in perinatal mental health. HEE has developed a proposed set of learning objectives on perinatal mental health for student midwives, and has engaged with the Royal College of Midwives to discuss this proposal and ensure that the curriculum provides midwives with the appropriate level of knowledge and competence in perinatal mental health.

To ensure that qualified midwives keep their skills up-to-date with the latest evidence, HEE has developed three e-learning modules in partnership with the Institute of Health Visiting on perinatal mental health, intended for use by midwives, nurses and health visitors. The modules specifically cover perinatal depression and other maternal mental health disorders. HEE plans to develop further e-learning modules for the existing workforce in 2015, to reduce the incidence and impact of postnatal depression through earlier diagnosis, and better intervention and support.

HEE is working with partners to ensure that pre and post registration training in perinatal mental health is provided consistently. This will facilitate staff with specialist skills being available to every birthing unit by 2017.

HEE are sustaining the record number of midwives entering training this year, and has commissioned 2,563 new Midwifery training places for 2014/15. Between May 2010 and October 2014, the numbers of full-time equivalent midwives have increased by nearly 2,000 and over 6,000 are in training.