Each May the spotlight is shined on Maternal Mental Health with the whole month being Maternal Mental Health Month.

Pregnancy and new motherhood can be difficult time for many, but during the pandemic when many have been unable to be with their usual support networks of family and friends, this has been especially difficult and even more so for those who have mental health conditions. Up to 1 in 5 women experience mental illness during pregnancy and within the first year following the birth.

NELFT PPIMHS is a dedicated group of specialist healthcare professionals who work together to support and care for pregnant and post-natal women who experience mental illness. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, they have been able to continue delivering a high standard of care to women. Like many other services, many of them have had to adapt to working from home, they have started to review women virtually, carrying out home visits only when necessary. A virtual support group, led by our therapists, was formed to help pregnant women who are suffering with anxiety and isolation due to the pandemic. The joint obstetric-psychiatric clinic has continued and MDTs are being held virtually. 

Team lead, Michelle Hayes, said: "It has been difficult to adapt our services during the pandemic but the team have worked really hard to ensure that our service users have continued to receive high quality care and continue to feel supported by our clinicians despite the challenges the pandemic has presented. This has been an especially important time for our service and an extra difficult time for the women we support. I am really proud of the team, who have worked tirelessly to make sure that patient care is at the forefront of everything we do, I’d like to say a huge thank you to all of them.”

The team have created this video to showcase their work, we at NELFT are very proud of all the wonderful work they are doing to provide our service users with the best possible service.