Doctors will use six- to eight-week health check to screen for postnatal depression or PTSD as a result of labour, as well as physical checks and advising on family planning.
All new mothers in England will receive a more comprehensive mental and physical check-up from their GP in the weeks after they give birth, thanks to new NHS guidance published today.
Under the new guidance GPs will ask women more questions than before about how they are feeling when they attend their postnatal health check.
GPs will carry out the comprehensive post-natal check-up six to eight weeks after women give birth covering a range of topics such as mental health, physical recovery, breastfeeding and support with family planning.
NHS England has drawn up the new guidance – the first of its kind – with the Royal College of GPs (RCGP) in an attempt to reduce suffering, tackle the annual £8.1bn cost of maternal mental ill-health and lower the risk that a new mother may take her own life. The guidance also offers advice for GPs around the long-term health implications of conditions that may first appear during pregnancy such as gestational diabetes, hypertension and depression. This means that women are offered guidance about conditions that may develop or become more severe in later life.
This new guidance also outlines conversation points for GPs to discuss breastfeeding, physical recovery, pelvic health, contraception and any preexisting medical conditions or conditions that arose during pregnancy. The aim is for the consultation to be tailored to what is important to the woman, rather than a checklist of questions.
Mothers will be asked in detail if pregnancy or giving birth has affected their mental health . The move is part of a drive by NHS England to improve support for women suffering postnatal depression or other mental health problems linked to their pregnancy or childbirth.
Around 600,000 women give birth in England every year and they are all entitled to a post-natal check-up after they give birth, in addition to the newborn check-up. One in four of these women develops a mental health problem as a result of her pregnancy or experience of giving birth.
Over the past year, over 53,000 new mothers received specialist perinatal mental health support and dozens of new Maternal Mental Health Services have been set up by the NHS across the country. Every local system now has access to a specialist community perinatal mental health team who can offer specialised care for a range of issues.
This builds on part of a wider scheme of support – including making new maternal mental health services available across all areas of England by March 2024 and £25 million to expand women’s health hubs.
Tracey Bignall, Senior Policy and Practice Officer, Race Equality Foundation, said:
“Physical and maternal mental health issues can negatively impact a mother’s ability to cope, family life, and bonding with her child. One-third of women diagnosed with postpartum depression continued experiencing symptoms beyond the first year after giving birth. Without treatment, perinatal mental health problems may become chronic. However, maternal mental illness can often be successfully treated.
“There are many reasons why women’s mental health symptoms go undetected during prenatal checkups: limited time, focus on the baby’s health, or awkwardness mentioning emotional wellbeing. Stigma can also prevent women from speaking up. Black and Asian women are often less likely to be asked about their mental health history and current state or offered treatment. Asian women also often receive less postnatal support and advice. To address disparities and unmet needs there needs to be: better education of treatment options, cultural awareness training, and specific funding to assess maternal mental and physical health at the six-week checkup, as per NICE guidelines. A major focus of the Women’s Health Strategy is to make the healthcare system work better for women. Having access to a comprehensive post-natal check by a GP will mean women can get support at an earlier stage if they need it. This guidance is a good step in the right direction.”
Read the guidance here.
