‘Threadbare’ NHS maternity care will lead to tragic consequences, health experts warn

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy New mothers are being left dangerously at risk by “threadbare” NHS maternity care, with mental health and community services slashed, top health experts have warned. The Independent can reveal: The NHS has failed to hit targets to roll out “maternal mental health hubs” to all areas by April 2024 The average waiting time for access to community mental health services for expectant and new mums was eight weeks for a first appointment in 2022-23 Some trusts have waiting times of between 15 and 30 weeks The average wait for treatment to start in some areas was up to 50 weeks in 2022-23 Almost a fifth of referrals for mothers were rejected by community mental health services – in some areas, this was as high as 80 per cent An average of 21 deaths per 10,000 patients were recorded by perinatal mental health services, which provide support to expectant and new mums Three out of 18 NHS trusts reported more than 100 deaths in a year The NHS had a target for 66,000 expectant and new mothers to receive contact from specialist mental health services by April 2024. It can have tragic consequences.” NHS England mental health director Claire Murdoch said that nine in 10 mothers access support during pregnancy, and that the NHS has opened 39 maternal mental health hubs so far. “We conducted a full investigation into the care Rebecca received with us, shared these findings with the coroner and cooperated fully with the inquest into Rebecca’s death.” Maria Caulfield, the parliamentary under secretary of state for mental health and women’s health strategy, said: “Any death of a mother is a tragedy, and my thoughts and sympathies remain with Rebecca’s family and friends.” She said that supporting new mothers is vital, and that GPs are required to provide a mental health and physical health check six to eight weeks after birth.