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Improving access to specialist services

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What are specialist perinatal mental health services?

‘Specialist perinatal mental health (PMH) services’ provide life-saving care to women and birthing people impacted by severe or complex mental health problems during and after pregnancy. 

Services include:

  1. Specialist community perinatal mental health teams
  2. Inpatient Mother and Baby Units (MBU)

Specialist community teams

What do the latest maps tell us?

Each nation has made a clear commitment to addressing gaps in specialist PMH care for new and expectant mothers, leading to increased levels of provision across the UK. Though the progress is fantastic, it has been uneven and there is still a postcode lottery.

See the full 2023 briefing

Short on time?

Download the executive summary instead (also available in Welsh).

Mother and Baby Units

Mother and Baby Units (MBUs) support both mum and baby when inpatient psychiatric treatment for severe maternal mental illness is needed. MBUs are specifically designed to maintain the mother-infant relationship while providing care.

Currently, MBUs accept women who are in the later stages of pregnancy and at any point in the postnatal period up until their baby turns one.

Download our latest MBU map
  1. MBU locations and contact details
    1. Scotland

      1. NHS Lothian Livingston Mother and Baby Unit (6 beds) St Johns Hospital, Howden Road West, Howden, Livingston, West Lothian, EH54 6PP Tel: 01506 523000
      2. West of Scotland Mother and Baby Mental Health Unit (6 beds) Leverndale Hospital, 510 Crookston Road, Glasgow G53 7TU Tel: 0141 211 6500

    2. North East / Yorkshire

      3. Beadnell Mother and Baby Unit (6 beds) Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Trust St Georges Hospital, Morpeth, Northumberland, NE61 2NU Tel: 01670 501869
      4. Leeds Partnership NHS Foundation Trust Mother and Baby Unit (8 beds) Temporarily relocated to Parkside lodge, 16 Stanningley Road, Armley, Leeds LS12 2AE Tel: 0113 85 55505

    3. North West

      5. Ribblemere Mother and Baby Unit (8 beds) Chorley and South Ribble District General Hospital, Preston Road, Chorley, PR7 1PP Tel: 01772 520780
      6. Manchester Mother and Baby Unit (10 beds)       Andersen Ward, Laureate House, Wythenshawe Hospital, Southmoor Road, Wythenshawe, Manchester, M23 9LT Tel: 0161 291 6829; Fax: 0161 291 6821

      Please note, although located in the North East, the Beadnell Mother and Baby unit is also able to take referrals from the North West. Please see above for contact details.

    4. Midlands

      7. Barberry Mother and Baby Unit (10 beds) Barberry National Centre for Mental Health 25 Vincent Drive, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2FG Tel: 0121 3012190
      8. Brockington Parent and Baby Unit (8 beds) South Staffordshire and Shropshire Foundation Trust St Georges Hospital, Corporation Street, Stafford, ST16 3AG Tel: 01785 221560 / 01785 221554
      9. Derby Mother and Baby Unit (6 beds) The Beeches Unit, Radbourne Unit, Uttoxeter Road, Derby, DE22 3WQ Tel: 01332 623828
      10. The Margaret Oates Mother and Baby Unit (8 beds) Hopewood, Foster Drive, Nottingham, NG5 3FL Tel: 0115 952 9481 ext. 12825

    5. Eastern

      11. Kingfisher Mother and Baby Unit (8 beds) Hellesdon Hospital, Drayton High Road, Norwich, Norfolk, NR6 5BE Tel: 01603 786745

    6. South / South West

      12. Thumbswood Mother and Baby Unit (6 beds) Hertfordshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, 2 Bowlers Green, Kingsley Green, Harper Lane, Nr Radlett, WD7 9HQ Tel: 01923 633880
      13. Rainbow Mother and Baby Unit (5 beds) The Linden Centre, Pudding Woods Drive, Chelmsford, CM1 7LF Tel: 01245 315629
      14. Rosewood Mother and Baby Unit (8 beds) Greenacres, Bow Arrow Lane, Dartford, Kent DA2 6PB Tel: 01322 622101
      15. Winchester Mother and Baby Unit (10 beds) Southern Health Foundation Trust, Melbury Lodge, Romsey Road, Winchester, SO22 5DG Tel: 01962 897711
      16. Florence House (5 beds) St Ann’s Hospital, Dorset Health Care University NHS Trust 49 Alumhurst Road, Bournemouth, BH4 8EP Tel: 01202 584320
      17. The New Horizon Mother and Baby Centre (4 beds) Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership and NHS Trust, Southmead Hospital, Dorian Way, Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol, BS10 5NB Tel: 0117 414 7270
      18. Jasmine Lodge Mother and Baby Unit (8 beds) Wonford House, Dryden Road, Exeter EX2 5SN Tel: 01392 539100

    7. London

      19. Coombe Wood Perinatal Health Unit (8 beds) Park Royal Centre for Mental Health, Acton Lane, London NW10 7FL Tel: 020 8955 4495/6/8
      20. East London Mother and Baby Unit (12 beds) Homerton Hospital, Homerton Row, Hackney, London, E9 6SR Tel: 020 8510 8420
      21. Channi Kumar Mother and Baby Unit (13 beds) South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, Bethlem Royal Hospital, Monks Orchard Road, Beckenham, Kent, BR3 3BX Tel: 020 3228 4255

    8. Wales

      22. Uned Gobaith (‘Unit of Hope’) (6 beds – interim) Tonna Hospital, Tonna Uchaf, Tonna, Neath SA11 3LX Tel: 01639 862921

The importance of specialist services

There are clear UK guidelines setting out that specialist services for women who meet the threshold are vital. As well as providing life-saving care, specialist PMH services also:

At a time when demands on mental health services are so high, it is vital that commitment to specialist PMH services remains, and progress is sustained.

More about specialist PMH services