West Yorkshire and Harrogate Health and Care Partnership Maternal Mental Health Service Pilot Scheme

CONTRACT NOT AWARDED

The NHS Long Term Plan included a joint Perinatal Mental Health (PMH) and maternity transformation objective that by 2023/24, Maternal Mental Health Services (MMHs) will be available across the country, combining maternity, reproductive health and psychological therapy for women experiencing mental health difficulties directly arising from, or related to, the maternity experience.

This ambition will contribute activity to the overall commitment for Perinatal mental health in the Long Term Plan and Mental Health Implementation Plan to enable at least 66,000 women with moderate to severe PMH difficulties to access to specialist care by 2023/24.

MMHSs should identify and assess moderate-severe/complex mental health difficulties associated with loss and trauma occurring in the maternity/perinatal/neonatal context (including parent-infant relationship), and provide consultation/advice, signposting and/or offering targeted interventions including therapies such as EMDR. Such presentations may include PTSD following birth trauma, PTSD following perinatal loss (including early miscarriage, recurrent miscarriage, stillbirth, neonatal death, termination for any reason, parent infant separation at birth due to safeguarding concerns), and severe fear of childbirth (tokophobia).

We are commissioning a year long pilot to better understand the need for the above type of service across West Yorkshire and to help shape our future service model. We believe that many women don't access support currently because of stigma around mental health services or fear of being perceived to be not able to look after their child. We need to work with service provider/s that can engage effectively with different communities and help to break down barriers in accessing support. During and after the pilot we will work collectively to shape the future model and create a business case for future funding taking learning from this work

We would be fully supportive of a collaboration of providers which would ensure our diverse communities have equitable access. If a collaboration is proposed please detail who would be the lead provider if possible, We would like existing service providers to respond ie must have a contract in West Yorkshire.