07.02.14
RCM has ‘serious concerns’ over quality of postnatal care
Over half of new mothers felt down or depressed after giving birth, a new report from the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) shows. The shocking statistics come from surveys of mothers and midwives, in collaboration with parenting website Netmums.
The report found that 24.1% of student midwives said they did not feel they had enough theoretical knowledge to provide appropriate support for mothers with mental health difficulties and 29% said they were not confident in recognising emotional wellness or mental health issues in postnatal women.
Of the mothers who did feel down or depressed, 75.4% did not seek help from a midwife or their maternity team, and 40.6% of midwives surveyed said it was quite or very difficult to refer women to the appropriate health professional if they had concerns about maternal mental health.
The RCM has recommended that a specialist perinatal mental health midwife be stationed in each maternity service provider, with more mother and baby units established to care for mothers with mental health difficulties.
Midwifery training should also be reviewed, the report suggested.
Cathy Warwick, chief executive of the RCM, said: “The quality of postnatal care that women receive appears to be a lottery. We have serious, longstanding concerns about the levels of care for women with mental health problems. It is clear this is a high priority for maternity staff and it is clear they want to deliver a high quality service. However, they are often prevented by doing this either by the system itself or a simple lack of resources.
“The RCM is worried that postnatal care is suffering and women are getting a poorer service because of the continuing shortage of midwives in England. Midwives are often moved from this crucial area to cover shortages in other areas particularly on labour wards. This means that midwives often do not have enough time when they visit women to spot the signs and support women with problems such as postnatal depression.
“We are calling on the NHS organisations responsible for maternity services to respond to our recommendations and to implement them.”
Sally Russell, co-founder of Netmums, said: “While there is a strong focus on a women’s physical heath after giving birth, there is an urgent need for more support for new mums’ mental health.
“With over half the new mums in the UK suffering baby blues, we are in danger of letting vulnerable mothers slip through the net and suffer serious mental illness. Post natal depression and anxiety is a condition which can devastate the whole family, not just the new mum. But many women who are struggling often blame themselves for ‘not coping’, and so don’t necessarily know their midwife can help.
“As the RCM report shows, it’s vital we train more midwives to help vulnerable women at this crucial time. Every mum deserves to be treated with compassion and have the chance to talk about their mental health as well as their physical health.”
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