New mothers in England to be given health check six weeks after giving birth

From April, the estimated 600,000 women who have babies each year in England will be given a physical and mental health check six weeks after giving birth, with either a GP or practice nurse at their surgery.

The aim of the appointments, which will be separate to the six-week check that babies already receive, will be to investigate the mother’s health, and are planned to take place immediately before or following the infant’s check to make the best use of the time for mothers and NHS staff.

NHS England has agreed to fund the £12m initiative as part of a new five-year contract with GP leaders in England.

Speaking of the initiative, Gill Walton, chief executive of the Royal College of Midwives, said “This additional funding for the six-week postnatal check will enable GPs to ensure that the mother receives a proper maternal check, as well as the baby, which is so crucial. We know that for some women with pregnancy-related mental illness, if identified early by a GP they can be treated close to their home and avoid any condition escalating.”

Angela McConville, chief executive of parenting charity NCT, said “It’s fantastic news that NHS England has responded to our calls for better postnatal mental health checks. This is a huge step forward and means more new mothers will be supported to talk about their mental health problems and get the help they need.”

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Posted by Karen Motley, Clinical Negligence Department, Chadwick Lawrence LLP (tonymay@chadlaw.co.uk ), medical negligence lawyers and clinical negligence solicitors in Huddersfield, Leeds, Wakefield and Halifax, West Yorkshire.

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