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Millions for mothers with mental illness

The NHS has launched a new fund for mothers with major mental health problems.

The £60 million Perinatal Community Services Development Fund is available to both new mothers and pregnant women. It forms part of a larger funding drive for specialist mental health services announced by the government earlier this year.

Currently only £5 million is available for use by various NHS Trusts, with the remainder of the funding due to be released in instalments over the next few years. £15 million will become available in the year to 2018, and a further £40 million in the year after that. From 2019 onwards, however, funding for perinatal mental health services will funnelled directly into the NHS rather than standing as a separate fund.

The government hopes that around 300,000 new or expectant mothers will benefit each year.

Dr Giles Berrisford is associate national clinical director for perinatal mental health at NHS England. He said:

“We absolutely need to ensure that all women have …access to high-quality perinatal mental health…. If left untreated, it can have a devastating impact on the woman affected and her family.”

NHS Trusts and commissioners have until September 16 to make their initial bids for the money.

The blog team at Stowe is a group of writers based across our family law offices who share their advice on the wellbeing and emotional aspects of divorce or separation from personal experience. As well as pieces from our family law solicitors, guest contributors also regularly contribute to share their knowledge.

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Comments(6)

  1. Andy says:

    And what about fathers…yet again support for Mothers is priority…the overall effect is divorce…
    Another Ms Stow support group….no bias here…
    as for the word equality,shhh can’t say that it will upset mother groups…
    Go and boil some nettles then drink it as tea..that will sort it…you have to laugh…now what time is Jeremy Kyle on…..more truth in that show than this blog…

  2. Andy says:

    Thanks Marilyn…
    It’s all a bit of fun….

  3. Andrew says:

    Marilyn, we don’t always agree (it only seems to happen when you are right, somehow) but except that your comment is too polite this is one of those times!

  4. Yvie says:

    Very little seems to be done about men with severe mental health problems, such as those being discharged from the forces with post-traumatic stress or other mental issues, who can find that their marriage has broken down, they are unable to find a job, and they are ultimately on the streets sleeping in doorways etc. Also following divorce men can find themselves without a home, facing large legal bills in an attempt to retain contact with their children, and financially in a far worse position than their ex. wives many of whom find themselves quite comfortably off following divorce. The only concern by Governments seems to be that ‘money for child maintenance is owed, a debt which must be paid. So many men are disadvantaged following divorce, and so few people care about their plight.

    • JamesB says:

      Yes I agree there are a lot of ill men on the streets who need more help with their mental health often as society has been taking tough love approach to them following separation and divorce with children taking feminist line of hammering them, I struggle with my mental health as am in that position as I am seeing work colleagues worse at the moment than me who are going through divorce currently.

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