‘Threadbare’ NHS maternity care will lead to tragic consequences, health experts warn
New mothers are being left dangerously at risk by “threadbare” NHS maternity care, with mental health and community services slashed, top health experts have warned.
Worrying gaps have emerged in mental health support, as the latest figures from the Royal College of Psychiatrists reveal that up to 1,200 women a year suffer from postpartum psychosis.
Donna Ockenden, who led a damning review of maternity care at the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, described the support currently available as “a house of cards” as she urged the government to improve provision for women.
In an exclusive interview with The Independent, she said: “The safety net in terms of services, one by one, has become more threadbare. I hear this from new mothers, midwives on the ground, and health-visiting colleagues.
“We’ve cut services, and therefore reduced the ability of midwives and the perinatal team to give the care that they
