Help shape new NHS service for Bedfordshire and Luton

Members of the public are being asked to help shape a new NHS mental health service supporting expectant and new mothers.
County councillors fear the funding cut will place greater pressure on GPs and hospitalsCounty councillors fear the funding cut will place greater pressure on GPs and hospitals
County councillors fear the funding cut will place greater pressure on GPs and hospitals

The Bedfordshire and Luton Community Perinatal Mental Health Service will be launched in the early part of 2019.

The team running the service want input from mothers or mums-to-be about their experience and ideas to help design a system built around the needs of service users.

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Informal engagement events are being held in Luton, Bedford Borough and Central Bedfordshire in January.

The service will provide mental health support to women during pregnancy and in the year after birth. Women can be affected by a range of mental health problems during that period

including anxiety and depression.

It will be run by East London NHS Foundation Trust (ELFT), which provides mental health services in the county, and NHS England is providing funding of nearly £1m.

“Our aim is to design and deliver a local service which provides the best possible mental health support for mums and mums-to-be,” said service lead Kara Greig.

“Any insight or experience that women who have lived experience of perinatal mental ill health can provide would be invaluable in shaping our service.”