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The Patients Association yesterday published a report on “Postnatal Depression Services”. Postnatal depression (PND) effects 10 to 15% of new mothers and in rare but extreme cases can result in maternal suicide. The full report is available to download at the bottom of the page. 

In this report, the Patients Association found that the vast majority of PCTs do not know the number of mothers suffering from PND in their area and are failing to provide information on PND to new mothers. In addition, the majority of PCTs do not have a strategy in place for commissioning PND services and do not know the number of Serious Untoward Incidents – such as maternal suicides – that are related to PND in their region. 

The Patients Association are calling for all PCTs to have a strategy in place specifically for commissioning PND services, and for all PCTs to provide all new mothers with written information on PND so that they can be aware of the signs and symptoms and seek help early on. Fern Britton, the TV presenter, who suffered from postnatal depression and is backing the campaign, said she was shocked by the lack of information given to new mothers.

 Commenting on the report, Katherine Murphy, Chief Executive of the Patients Association said,

 

“We have seen a succession of Government’s make promises to mothers about improving midwifery services - but we are still not seeing standard one to one care in labour or a reduction in interventions. Only recently we heard in the West Midlands of 25 baby deaths between April 2008 and March 2009 that could have been avoided and that were partly due to inadequate maternity care. What is going wrong with our maternity services?

 

We now have the Coalition Government promising mothers that clinical networks will be set up to achieve this. But this is an old policy – NICE guidelines have stated for years that PCTs should be part of a network but our report states that they are failing to do this. How is the Government going to ensure this support is in place for vulnerable mothers – especially with the added complication of PND services moving to the responsibility of GPs?

 

Our report clearly shows that Postnatal Depression (PND) Services are in disarray across the country. The vast majority of PCTs do not know the number of mothers suffering from this condition in their area and they don’t have a strategy in place for commissioning services to support these vulnerable mothers. How can GP consortia be expected to take over the commissioning of PND services when there are no clear strategies in place from PCTs to help them? Worries and complaints about maternity services feature highly in our Helpline calls. But people face a stigma associated with mental health problems, so many women face embarrassment or shame in talking about PND. The chances are that even the calls we do receive do not capture the full picture of how widespread this issue is. For years, maternity services have struggled to maintain funding and avoid cuts, but with the need to make huge NHS savings, the Royal College of Midwives and Heads of Maternity services are understandably worried that these services will be further stretched to the limit. With pressure on the NHS to deliver financial saving and the huge overhaul to the structure of the NHS, will mothers suffer even further as PND services fall by the wayside? And what about information provision – many PCTs are not providing women with the information they need so that they, or their family and friends, can identify the signs and symptoms of PND. Without this information how can women help themselves? Without early detection and treatment PND can in extreme and rare cases lead to maternal suicide – it is alarming that PCTs are not only failing to provide information but that many of them do not even know the number of Serious Untoward Incidents that are due to PND. The Government needs to act fast and issue clear guidelines on how they are going to help mothers who are needlessly suffering in silence without the information and support they need.”

Commenting on the report, Fern Britton said:

“I know what it is like to have postnatal depression. It is isolating, frightening and at times can make you feel like you want to end it all. It is one of those taboo subjects that no one wants to talk about - when you have a baby you are meant to be overjoyed and glowing - not thinking about driving into a wall. But mothers can get through this. I was one of the luckier ones, as my own mother recognized the symptoms and made me see a doctor. But not every new mother is that fortunate. I am shocked to read in the Patients Association report that over half of PCTs are not providing basic information on postnatal depression to new mothers. Mothers are being let down - how can they and their partners be involved and feel empowered to recognize the signs and symptoms of this horrible condition if they are not given the right information? I support the Patients Association’s calls to action, for ALL PCTs to provide information for women and have services in place for treating postnatal depression.”