Maternity and mental health services working collaboratively for women

Abstract

Through the collaboration and partnership working of key professionals within maternity services, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), health visiting, GP services and Oxford Primary Care Trust (PCT), an innovative new service has been established which addresses the needs of women with mild to moderate mental health problems in pregnancy and the perinatal period—the Infant Parent Perinatal Service (IPPS). The partnership model of working has created firm pathways across service providers and has resulted in a forum for ongoing opportunity and creativity which continues to seek and develop new ways of improving mental health care for vulnerable women in pregnancy and the perinatal period. It is now well recognized that not only the physical but also the mental and emotional health of a woman while pregnant and in her infant’s early years will have a lifelong effect ( Department of Health, 2011 : 10). The IPPS project has been recognized nationally, receiving second place in the 2009 British Journal of Midwifery awards for ‘team of the year’ and a highly commended second place in the Royal College of Midwives 2010 awards for excellence in partnership working.