Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to address any shortfall of beds in specialist inpatient mother and baby units.

NHS England is responsible for commissioning specialised inpatient perinatal mental health services that provide a safe and secure environment for the care of women with severe mental illness and their infants. Assessments should be made by clinical commissioning groups based on local needs.

The number of inpatient mother and baby units specialising in psychiatric care during the perinatal period increased from 10 units in 2010 to 17 in 2014.

NHS England has committed in its business plan to develop and deliver a pathway to support women with postnatal mental health problems by March 2015. It is also working with local partners to support the continued development of maternity and perinatal mental health networks through its Maternity and Children Strategic Clinical Networks to promote seamless integrated comprehensive care across the whole clinical pathway.

To raise awareness of good maternal mental health during pregnancy and the first year after birth the Mandate between the Government and NHS England includes a specific objective to reduce the incidence and impact of postnatal depression through earlier diagnosis, and better intervention and support.

To support this, Health Education England will ensure that training in perinatal mental health is available so that specialist staff will be available to every birthing unit by 2017.

We have trained 400 perinatal mental health visitor champions who are supporting health visitors with the identification and management of anxiety, mild to moderate depression and other perinatal mental disorders and knowing when to refer on.

The Department has also commissioned the National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit at Oxford University to develop a perinatal mental health indicator, which will help us to better identify and address gaps in our services. NHS England is developing a plan to support women with postnatal mental health problems by March 2015 which will share best practice and learning with the National Health Service.