NHS England commits to full coverage for perinatal mental health services

NHS England aims to make mental health services for new and expectant mothers in underserved parts of the country accessible within a year. NHS suggests only 3% of the country had good access to perinatal mental healthcare as recently as 2014, but it expects to extend this to 100% by 2019. Additional funding will put into effect a second wave of community perinatal services as part of a wider package of measures aimed at providing care to 30,000 more women by 2021. A 2017 study showed that only 7% of women who experienced a perinatal mental health condition were referred to specialist care, with some of those having to wait up to a year to receive treatment.