Meeting documents

Presenters:

Dr Nicola Widgington, General Practitioner

Ms Ruth House, Health Visitor, Perinatal Mental Health Project Manager

The Chairman welcomed Dr N Widgington, General Practitioner and Ms Ruth House, Health Visitor, Perinatal Mental Health Project Manager to the meeting. Dr Widgington and Ms House presented their report and highlighted the following:

• The Charlotte Bevan case brought attention to the significant mental health problems suffered and the coroner had highlighted the significant failings in the months leading up to the death of her and her baby.
• An important contributory factor had been the lack of a multi-disciplinary care plan. NHS England agreed they would act on the coroner's findings to ensure those mothers with mental health needs, and their babies, had access to the services and professionals they needed to keep them and their babies’ safe during pregnancy, and following the birth.
• Medical and midwifery school taught students about the physical complications of pregnancy, but depression was the most common complication. 12% of women were shown to have depression during pregnancy and 13% displayed anxiety.

• Depression and anxiety also affected 15-20% of women in the first year after childbirth.
• The consequence of perinatal mental health could cause immense distress for women and their partners and families and an adverse impact on the interaction between mother and baby. This would affect the child’s emotional, social and cognitive development. The first two years of baby’s life would be the building blocks of their long term health and development and long term effects last into the teenage years.
• A study had shown that every 16 year old with depression had a mother that had suffered with depression at some point (mostly perinatally).
• The economic impact of untreated perinatal depression, anxiety and psychosis showed a total long-term cost to society of about £8.1 billion for each one-year cohort of births in the UK. Two-thirds of the cost were linked to short and long term problems for the child. £1.2 billion was the cost to the NHS; this was equivalent to £10,000 for each birth.
• Strategic level meetings had been put in place to address these issues and GP’s were the key to the success of the overall pathway. It had been helpful to have GP commissioners, midwifery specialist and psychological services on board, along with others, to engage in the process.
• Women with mild to moderate depression could also be referred to Healthy Minds and fathers would be asked if they have a baby at home to help assess their needs.
• There had also been a postnatal wellbeing group established for those with mild to moderate depression and/or anxiety. A risk assessment would be undertaken to establish if the group was the most suitable service for the mother (or father) and if not, the client would be referred to a more appropriate service.
• There had been a lot of positive feedback from both men and women who had attended the group and had highlighted that they may not have attended if crèche services had not been available.
• The service linked to safeguarding and Thames Valley Strategic Network and considerable progress had been made to date.
• Perinatal Mental Health Community Services had applied to receive part of the £365m development fund. The service had not been successful in securing funding in the first round, but were putting together a bid for the second round of funding.
• Ms Shimmin highlighted the need for broader awareness across partner organisations such as the Buckinghamshire Safeguarding Children’s Board and working with the business community to distribute messages.
• Ms Baker stated that Healthwatch assisted by pointing families in the right direction of appropriate services.

The chairman welcomed Ms Andrea McCubbin, Chief Executive of Buckinghamshire Mind to the meeting. Ms McCubbin presented her report and highlighted the following:

• Mind assisted people with mental health issues across the county and continued to build on the learning to deliver support. Peer support groups delivered by Mind were hosted in Berkshire, with support groups in the Marlow, Wycombe and Chesham areas.
• Peer support groups were non-judgemental. Funding had previously been supplied to support these groups but this had now ceased and therefore Mind had taken over the financial support to fund the programmes.
• The groups had been slow to start with difficulty engaging with women. Social media had been used to spread the word and currently 10 women with the diagnosis of post-natal depression had attended the group in Marlow.
• There had been challenges with encouraging different ethnic groups to attend the support groups, but two Pakistani women now attended.
• The groups were supported by one paid member of staff and one volunteer and take a holistic approach and undertake activities such as crafts. There was not a set agenda but the sessions do link with parenting skills.
• Feedback had been positive and had stated that the sessions gave individuals the space to talk and be heard about the issues they had been experiencing.

RESOLVED

The Board DISCUSSED the presentations and how their organisations would support this priority and what actions the Health and Wellbeing Board would take collectively to promote perinatal mental health and wellbeing.

It was SUGGESTED that Dr Nicola Widgington and Ruth House share their presentation and signposting information with the Safeguarding Boards.  Ms K McDonald to facilitate sharing of information between Boards. 

ACTION: Ms McDonald