Last week we launched the NHS Long Term Plan, a landmark moment that sets out how we will secure the health service now and for generations to come.
Along with the £20.5 billion in extra funding this government has pledged for the NHS - the largest cash increase in NHS funding in history - we asked the health service to produce a plan to make sure every penny of that extra money is well spent, and will help it meet the challenges of the future.
The plan covers cradle-to-grave healthcare, with one of our aims being to provide the best maternity care in the world - not only to ensure every baby gets the best start in life, but also to ensure new parents are better supported before and after birth. From Mumsnet’s campaign for Better Postnatal Care we know that much of the provision in the UK is good, but for a significant minority of new mums their experiences could have been better.
The fact is that around one in four new mums experience mental health problems during pregnancy and after giving birth, while up to one in 10 dads also experience problems.
Having a baby is meant to be a time of great joy, but it can also be a time of great stress. Whether it’s sleepless nights, huge hormonal changes or just the pressures of having a newborn totally reliant on you, we should recognise this is a time in which new parents can struggle to cope. And it is not always easy to speak up and ask for help with something we are told should come naturally.
For that reason, the NHS Long Term Plan has given particular attention to perinatal care. We are doubling the period in which women can access specialist perinatal mental health care from one year to two years, as well as ensuring partners also have access to mental health support. Mums will now have access to mental health services and care from preconception to 24 months after birth. And outreach clinics will integrate maternity, reproductive health and mental health services for women experiencing mental illness as a direct result of their pregnancy.
Access to evidence-based psychological therapies within specialist perinatal mental health services will be expanded to include effective therapies such as parent-infant, couple, co-parenting and family interventions. Dads and partners will also be offered evidence-based assessments for their mental health, leading to referrals to specialist support as required.
As well as focusing on mental health, we also want to focus on physical health – not least because around 90% of women will sustain an injury or tear while giving birth. Physiotherapy can be key to preventing and treating incontinence and prolapse symptoms which could otherwise last for years, so we will improve access to postnatal physiotherapy at multidisciplinary pelvic health clinics. These clinics will also provide training and support for GPs and midwives to help them better understand the needs of women recovering from birth. We also want to ensure pregnant women develop a good relationship with their caring team, with the aim that, by March 2021, the majority of women have the same midwife caring for them throughout their pregnancy, during birth, and beyond.
The numbers speak for themselves: women who experience this continuity are 16% less likely to lose their baby, 19% less likely to lose their baby before 24 weeks, and 24% less likely to give birth prematurely.
Bringing a baby into the world brings with it a rollercoaster of emotions – from fear, doubt, and stress, to love, joy, and excitement. With this new support, we hope to better help parents through this transformational time.
Jackie Doyle-Price will be able to respond to some comments on Tuesday, 5-6pm (22/01/2019) [Date edited by MNHQ]
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MumsnetGuestPosts · 18/01/2019 09:35
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