New perinatal service for Portsmouth mums

Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust has won funding to extend its perinatal community services to three areas in the Wessex region, including Portsmouth.

The service’s reach will be in addition to the rest of Hampshire, which already has support.

Southern Health’s perinatal team manager Jenny Walsh said: ‘With the help of our commissioners, we’re pleased to be offering our specialist services to even more mums.

‘The service, worth more than £800,000 each year, will start immediately.

‘It will directly tackle the currently unfair system which can mean that there are pockets of no service surrounded by areas with access to some of the best services in the country.’

Southern Health’s perinatal mental health team helps mothers experiencing severe mental illness through a programme of treatment and support.