Maria Miller MP for Basingstoke has welcomed a funding boost which means that every new mum in Basingstoke will be able to get full postnatal check-up after having a baby.
NHS England is funding the £12m new roll out as part of a five-year contract with GP practices in England to widen provision of dedicated six-week postnatal check up for all new mothers to discuss their health with a GP or healthcare practitioner.
NCT’s #Hidden Half campaign has called for this funding since its research revealed that nearly half of mothers’ postnatal mental health problems were not being picked up by healthcare professionals. Mums reported that whilst baby checks were routinely carried out, the maternal check was either not done at all or squeezed in at the end of the baby check appointment, resulting in a rushed conversation. Consequently, mothers reported not feeling comfortable disclosing mental health problems.
Maria has worked closely with NCT - the UK’s largest parenting charity – to achieve this outcome.
Maria said: “I welcome Government’s funding and delighted that GPs will now offer a universal 6-8 week post-natal check for new mothers. This will allow all new mums to receive a proper check-up which is so crucial during the first few weeks. “
Angela McConville, Chief Executive, NCT, said: “It’s fantastic news that NHS England has responded to calls for better postnatal mental health checks. This is a huge step forward and means more new mothers can be supported to talk about their mental health problems and get the help they need.”