Psychiatrists urge NHS England to improve data on antenatal mental health screening

Many NHS trusts are failing to provide information on whether they are carrying out recommended mental health screening at early antenatal checks.The Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCPsych) said that their analysis of datasets published by NHS England show one in six trusts is still not reporting whether they are doing the recommended mental health checks at the 10 week antenatal booking appointment.It means that more than eight years after routine screening was first recommended, it is unclear if trusts are following the guidelines. “There is also strong anecdotal evidence to suggest many women are missing out,” said Trudi Seneviratne, consultant perinatal psychiatrist at the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and RCPsych registrar.An estimated one in five new and expectant mothers develop perinatal mental illness, including depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and psychosis, and it is the leading cause of maternal death in the first year after birth.1Since 2014 the…
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