Launch of Perinatal Mental Health Service in the Mid West
University Maternity Hospital Limerick (UMHL), together with HSE Midwest Community Healthcare, is delighted to announce the official launch of a new Specialist Perinatal Mental Health Service for the Mid West
The new service has been set up in response to recommendations in the National Maternity Strategy 2016-2026, which includes providing better support for the mental health needs of women during the preconceptual, antenatal and extended postnatal periods; improving access to mental health services and support in our maternity services; training for healthcare professionals to identify women at risk of developing mental health issues; standardising access to perinatal psychiatry and psychology services and much more.
The new Specialist Perinatal Mental Health Service is the coming together of separate disciplines, namely obstetrics, midwifery and psychiatry to provide services to women experiencing mental health problems during and after pregnancy in the MidWest.
Currently, the new Perinatal Mental Health Service team consists of a Consultant Obstetrician Dr Mendinaro Imcha, Consultant Psychiatrist, Dr Mas Mahady Mohamad, Eimear Smalle, Medical Social Worker, and Mental Health Clinical Midwife Manager Maria Gibbons. Recruitment of other multidisciplinary members of the team, including Clinical Nurse Specialists, a Clinical Psychologist and administrative staff will continue and will be guided by the recently launched Specialist Perinatal Mental Health Service (SPMHS) Model of Care.
Women in the MidWest will be able to access the service through referral by their GP, midwife or obstetrician. The Medical Social Work Walk-in clinic, which opened earlier this year, supports the new service and runs in parallel with the Monday morning Ante-natal Clinic at UMHL.
Speaking about the new service, Dr Mas Mahady Mohamad, Consultant Psychiatrist, UL Hospitals Group/HSE MidWest Community Healthcare said: “We are delighted to launch the new Specialist Perinatal Mental Health Service today. Our main focus is to provide high quality care for women with moderate to severe mental health difficulties preconceptually, throughout pregnancy and up to the end of the first postnatal year. Beyond that, we hope to fulfil a preventive and early intervention role by improving the identification of women with milder forms of illness. Importantly, this new service will also play a key role in the training of all layers of healthcare professionals within the region and in the promotion of research within this very specialised area of medicine.”
Continued Dr Mohamad: “Research highlights the importance of maternal mental health on health outcomes for the mother and the developing baby. Unfortunately, women who suffer from perinatal mental illness often do so in isolation, fearful of being stigmatised. In the two months that we’ve been in service, we’ve heard many personal stories of women who felt that they were not able to access help or support for their mental health needs. More than anything else, these stories motivate me to further develop services for women and families in the MidWest. My hope is that if these perinatal mental illnesses are identified and treated early, we can potentially avoid many of their short and long-term consequences to mothers, children and families.”
Dr. Mendinaro Imcha, Consultant Obstetrician commented, “It is my privilege to have been a core member of the team that has established the Specialist Perinatal Mental Health Service in Limerick and we are on track to cater to the care needs of the most vulnerable expectant mothers in our community.
“The MBRRACE-UK report states that mental health problems are related to around 1 in 4 maternal deaths between six weeks and a year after childbirth. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, UK has said that 1 in 5 women develop mental health problems during pregnancy or in the first year after delivery. The HSE’s Mental Health Division has developed a Specialist Perinatal Mental Health Model of Care for Ireland and is recommending a specialist perinatal mental health team in each hospital group. By providing the right perinatal mental health care to those in need, we will be reinforcing the joy of pregnancy and ensuring a brighter future for our society,” said Dr Imcha.
UL Hospitals Group CEO Colette Cowan said: “The launch of this service is very special, it’s a much needed service but it also represents the culmination of the hard work and dedication of staff working within the MidWest and beyond to deliver what the patient needs. It symbolises the strong collaboration between UL Hospitals Group and Midwest Community Healthcare which seeks to improve access for our patients, as set out in our recently launched 5 year strategy."
Bernard Gloster, Chief Officer at HSE Midwest Community Healthcare, said: “This is another very progressive step where we integrate the approach of maternal and mental health which results in a service being available to women where the evidence suggests they can benefit greatly. HSE Mid West Community Healthcare looks forward to further developing these types of services.”
Dr John O Mahoney, Executive Clinical Director, HSE Midwest Community Healthcare added, “I was delighted to be able to work with Dr Gerry Burke and Dr Margo Wrigley, the National Clinical Lead for Perinatal Mental Health Services, in their development of this perinatal and mental health service, it ensures that the women of Limerick and the MidWest have access to a service they deserve, we will continue to develop this service.”
The launch of the new Specialist Perinatal Mental Health Service follows on from the very successful “Conference on Perinatal Mental Health Awareness: Bridging the Gap” held in December 2017 when UL Hospitals Group and HSE Mid West Community Healthcare came together to host a forum to share experiences which have helped to establish this new service.
A second conference is planned for the 5th December 2018, when national and international speakers will present the latest research findings in the area.