Government to invest £290m in mental health support for mothers

The move is part of a £1bn package of measures that will include £250m for mental health services in hospital emergency departments, and more than £400m to enable 24/7 treatment in communities as an alternative to hospital.

The government said the £290m investment – which will cover the period up until 2020 – will mean that at least 30,000 more women each year will have access to specialist mental healthcare before and after having their baby.

The money will be used to pay for perinatal classes, new community perinatal teams and more beds in mother and baby units, so mothers with serious mental health problems can get the best support and keep their babies with them.

"Mental illness isn’t contagious," Cameron said.

"There’s nothing to be frightened of. As a country, we need to be far more mature about this. Less hushed tones, less whispering; more frank and open discussion.

"We need to take away that shame, that embarrassment, let people know that they’re not in this alone, that when the clouds descend, they don’t have to suffer silently.

"I want us to be able to say to anyone who is struggling, ‘talk to someone, ask your doctor for help and we will always be there to support you’."

Today's announced investment follows a government pledge last year to spend £1.25bn improving young people's mental health in the period up to 2020 in response to the Future in Mind strategy.

It forms part of a number of wider measures, including making parenting classes more widely available, that are designed to address child poverty and improve children's life chances.

Sarah Brennan, chief executive of YoungMinds, said improving the mental health of babies, children and young people is an investment for the future of the nation.

"All the measures in the Prime Minister’s speech must be applied to the needs of children and young people – and not just those measures that specifically name young people.
 
“This announcement, along with implementing the rest of the Future in Mind strategy, signals the sea-change needed in our response to the thousands of young people who are experiencing extreme distress every day.

"Prevention, early intervention and treatment for mental health problems should be a given for every single child or young person who need them.”

Sean Duggan, chief executive of the Centre for Mental Health, said mental health problems affecting women during and after pregnancy cost society around £8bn a year.

"Investing a fraction of that in improved services will prevent suffering among mothers and enhance children’s life chances.

"Today’s announcement of £290m over five years goes some way to meeting that need but it will cost £290m each year to offer the right care to all the women who need it."