New mothers face a “postcode lottery” and massive travel bills to access specialist mental health care in the central belt, an islands MSP warns.
The long distances and costs facing families in the north led to calls for better local provision.
In Holyrood, Shetland MSP Beatrice Wishart complained that the closest inpatient mother and baby perinatal mental health unit is in Livingston, West Lothian.
‘Easy to see how costs rack up’
Ms Wishart highlighted recent articles by the Press and Journal showing the difficulties new mums and their partners have faced trying to access this support.
One Aberdeenshire mum, Linsey Singers, told us in March that she “wouldn’t be here” without the specialist care of the unit in Livingston.
Linsey, from Inverurie, was admitted to the unit in 2017 after experiencing a severe depressive episode following the birth of her son Jack. She praised the care but is now campaigning for better access around the country.
Ms Wishart said the trip for her constituents is around 390 miles by air or sea one way.
“There is no dedicated inpatient mental health beds for new mothers north of Livingston,” she told the SNP Government’s mental wellbeing minister.
“Shetland and Livingston have a contractual agreement for perinatal mental health services and my constituents are expected to take a 390 mile trip by air or sea with their newborn.
“The P&J have also been campaigning to raise this issue of perinatal mental health services – one report highlighted the difficulty faced by partners travelling to support their loved one and to see their newborn baby.
“It is easy to see how costs can rack up for families as grandparents and other children make visits.”
Calls for services to be expanded
New mums and their relatives are able to access a family fund to help cover the cost of travel and accommodation when visiting these mental health units.
Ms Wishart raised concern that the maximum one family can claim from this fund is £500 – which only covers the cost of one airfare from Shetland.
She wants to see the government expand inpatient perinatal mental health services, but also increase the financial provision those who need to travel the furthest can access.
Government minister Kevin Stewart MSP said 115 mothers had needed to use this specialist service within the past year.
He said: “We are looking to see what expansion is required but one of the things we need to do and are doing is actually ensuring the right community support is in place.
“Our aim is to strengthen community services so women don’t have to access mother and baby units unless entirely necessary.”
He encouraged people in the north of Scotland to answer the Scottish Government’s consultation on perinatal mental health services.
A 2019 report recommended there should be four additional mother and baby unit beds created in Scotland, either by expanding one of the existing units or by creating a brand new unit in the north of the country.
North-east mum says she ‘wouldn’t be here’ without mother and baby unit