A silent problem perinatal mental health in Oxfordshire, Oxfordshire

The Oxfordshire 1001 Critical Days group is a coalition of local agencies working with young children and their families in both the voluntary and statutory sectors.

In this report parents’ views about their experience of perinatal (i.e. the time leading up to birth, birth itself and the post-natal period) services and support were collected, in order to gain a deeper and wider understanding about what was working well and what could be improved.

An online survey was produced and received 36 responses. The survey was then followed up with four semi-structured interviews. Responses to the survey and follow up interviews identified many positive features of support received, and appreciation, often glowing, was expressed for health visitors, midwives, children’s centres, breastfeeding support services, Infant-Parent Perinatal Service, Oxford Parent Infant Project (OXPIP) and others, and particularly for individuals within those services.

Common themes also emerged about the patchiness and inconsistency of support and about primary, secondary and other community care services often not linking up and sharing information effectively.

Some of the recommendations are:

1. In the light of current cuts to children’s centres, everything possible should be done to ensure clear pathways of support for families and the continuation of open access support.

2. There should be a cross agency system to enable earlier identification of parents who are in need of emotional and mental health support, particularly those who are reticent or find it difficult to ask for help.

3. Consistency of care needs to be improved.