New mental health service for South Yorkshire mums

New mums who are struggling to cope will get extra help thanks to a specialist mental health service.
The team working with new mumsThe team working with new mums
The team working with new mums

The Perinatal Mental Health Service, run by Sheffield Health and Social Care NHS Foundation Trust (SHSC), currently supports mums across Sheffield.

It's received £880,000 of funding from NHS England and will now expand to deliver care and support in Rotherham and Doncaster where there is currently limited specialist mental health support for new mums.

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One in five women experience mental health problems after having a baby, and in Sheffield last year the Perinatal Mental Health Service received more than 700 referrals.

Help offered will include one-to- one specialist care, peer support from women who have experience perinatal mental health problems, as well as support for new fathers.

Dr Nusrat Mir, consultant psychiatrist, said: “Access to specialist perinatal mental health support and care is vital for new and expectant mothers. Suicide is still the leading cause of death for women during pregnancy and in the year after giving birth.

“Having someone to talk to who understands what you’re going through makes such a difference, helping to reduce unnecessary suffering and save lives.”

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The new service will be run in partnership between SHSC and Rotherham Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust (RDaSH), as well as local charities Forging Families, Pandas and Light Sheffield.

The expansion is part of a £365 million investment into perinatal mental health services over the next five years from NHS England.

Kevan Taylor, chief executive at SHSC, said: “This is wonderful news. Our existing service, although relatively small, has an excellent reputation locally, and we’re looking forward to being able to support even more people thanks to this extra funding."

To find out more about the support on offer from the Perinatal Mental Health Service call 0114 2716069 or email [email protected]