West Midlands Perinatal Mental Health Network
Perinatal mental health services support women during pregnancy and the first postnatal year. The mental wellbeing of women at this time is critical for mothers and their babies. The West Midlands Perinatal Mental Health Network (PMHN) is part of the Maternity Clinical Network and works across the region to support the development of high-quality perinatal mental health services in the community for women and their families. The PMHN provides a “clinical and patient voice” around perinatal mental health. It brings together Birmingham and Solihull, the Black Country, Coventry and Warwickshire, Hereford and Worcester, Shropshire and Telford and Wrekin, and Staffordshire, incorporating local perinatal mental health networks into the West Midlands Perinatal Mental Health Network.
We also work across the perinatal mental health sectors to raise the profile of perinatal mental health across the West Midlands, seek opportunities to share good practice and provide a source of expertise for commissioners, providers and clinicians.
The network has a Clinical Lead and a Clinical Advisor who provide strategic oversight of the development of perinatal mental health services across the West Midlands.
Our aims:
- To raise awareness of perinatal mental health across the West Midlands.
- To provide networking opportunities among perinatal mental health professionals, patients and service users across our area.
- To champion and share good clinical practice and act as a source of expertise to commissioners, providers and clinicians.
- To improve the quality and provision of perinatal mental health services across the West Midlands.
Perinatal Mental Health is recognised as a National priority after being highlighted in the National Maternity Review, Better Births, as an area requiring funding and significant improvement across the country. The PMH Network remains aligned to the national agenda to ensure that clear connections are established across the Maternity Transformation Programme.