First reported 23 May 2014•Latest report 13 Oct 2025
Definition
What this concern includes
Includes failures in the dedicated specialist perinatal mental-health service, including staffing and capacity, urgent visits, specialist assessment, referral arrangements and provision of appropriate care for women and their babies where these directly impair service reliability.
Not included
Excludes generic mental-health service capacity, staffing or access deficiencies without a specialist perinatal mental-health connection.
Excludes failures in general community mental-health services unless they directly concern the specialist perinatal service's referral, support or urgent-care interface.
Excludes maternity, neonatal or obstetric care failures where specialist perinatal mental-health service provision is not the deficient condition.
Excludes failures occurring after appropriate specialist perinatal mental-health care has been reliably provided, unless the service-provision process itself remains deficient.
Reports
4
Distinct published reports
Individual concerns
6
A report can raise multiple concerns
Date range
2014–2025
First to latest report issue date
Stated actions
9
Described in published responses
Reports over time
Reports over time
Reports about this concern issued each year.
* 2026 is projected from reports observed to 7 Sep 2026.
Most frequent recipients
Most frequent recipients
Reports about this concern sent to each recipient.
NHS England2
Betsi Cadwaladr University LHB1
Department of Health and Social Care1
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust1
NHS Wirral Clinical Commissioning Group1
Recipient name withheld1
Executive non-departmental public body2
Clinical commissioning group1
Local health board1
Ministerial department1
NHS trust1
Type not available1
Concerns and responses across reports
Only concerns grouped under this recurring concern are included. Select any concern, action or position to view the source wording.
Hampshire, Portsmouth and Southampton
Concerns raised1
Unavailability of urgent visits by the specialist perinatal team
This report raised 6 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concerns
Each statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.1
Position
The Perinatal Team is not commissioned to complete urgent visits and must refer patients to Community Mental Health Teams.
Stated by Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation TrustRedirects responsibilityThe respondent said that another organisation was responsible for deciding or taking action.
North Wales (East and Central)
Concerns raised2
Insufficient awareness of the Perinatal Mental Health Service among health professionals
Inadequate staffing of the Perinatal Mental Health Service
This report raised 4 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concerns
Each statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Actions described in response An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.4
Action
Deliver and disseminate perinatal mental health awareness training across relevant Health Board teams.
Stated by Betsi Cadwaladr University LHBStated completedThe respondent said that this action was complete when they made their response on 26 March 2025.
Action
Integrate perinatal mental health awareness training across the acute mental health care pathway, including inpatient services.
Stated by Betsi Cadwaladr University LHBStated in progressThe respondent said that this action was in progress when they made their response on 26 March 2025.
Action
Develop perinatal mental health training for North Wales GPs covering illness recognition, assessment, support and referral.
Stated by Betsi Cadwaladr University LHBStated in progressThe respondent said that this action was in progress when they made their response on 26 March 2025.
Action
Review Health Visiting Services and wider perinatal provision to identify access gaps and make recommendations.
Stated by Betsi Cadwaladr University LHBStated plannedThe respondent said that this action was planned when they made their response on 26 March 2025.
East London
Concerns raised1
Lack of direct access for BPAS patients with pregnancy-related mental health decline to perinatal psychiatry teams
Responses linked to these concerns
Each statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
No linked response statements
No respondent-stated action or position is linked to these concerns in the published data.
The Wirral
Concerns raised2
Lack of a Mother and Baby Perinatal Mental Health inpatient unit in the Liverpool City Region
Lack of a Specialist Community Perinatal Mental Health Service in the Wirral
This report raised 1 other concern. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concerns
Each statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Actions described in response An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.5
Action
Develop and nationally consult on a specification for specialised perinatal mental health services.
Stated by Department of Health and Social CareStated completedThe respondent said that this action was complete when they made their response on 23 May 2014.
Action
Contact NHS England network representatives and discuss commissioning inpatient mother-and-baby units at the next available regional Perinatal Group.
Stated by NHS Wirral Clinical Commissioning GroupStated in progressThe respondent said that this action was in progress when they made their response on 23 May 2014.
Action
Recruit and establish an additional perinatal mental health midwife post to increase specialist capacity, continuity, cover, teaching and supervision.
Stated by NHS Wirral Clinical Commissioning GroupStated completedThe respondent said that this action was complete when they made their response on 23 May 2014.
Action
Include specialist-staffing requirements in the new IAPT service specification and inform providers that perinatal clinicians must liaise with other professionals involved in care.
Stated by NHS Wirral Clinical Commissioning GroupStated completedThe respondent said that this action was complete when they made their response on 23 May 2014.
Action
Establish an integrated, consultant-led perinatal mental health pathway for Wirral patients by the end of 2014.
Stated by NHS Wirral Clinical Commissioning GroupStated plannedThe respondent said that this action was planned when they made their response on 23 May 2014.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.3
Position
Regional commissioning and the Manchester Mother and Baby Unit are considered sufficient for North West demand, with neighbouring units available when necessary.
Stated by Department of Health and Social CareExisting arrangements considered sufficientThe respondent said that existing arrangements were sufficient, so no further action was needed.
Position
Commissioning mother and baby units is the responsibility of NHS England’s Specialised Commissioning, not the CCG.
Stated by NHS Wirral Clinical Commissioning GroupRedirects responsibilityThe respondent said that another organisation was responsible for deciding or taking action.
Position
Clinical Commissioning Groups commission local perinatal mental health services and should address concerns about Wirral provision.
Stated by Department of Health and Social CareRedirects responsibilityThe respondent said that another organisation was responsible for deciding or taking action.
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Includes failures in the dedicated specialist perinatal mental-health service, including staffing and capacity, urgent visits, specialist assessment, referral arrangements and provision of appropriate care for women and their babies where these directly impair service reliability.
