26 July 2021

A new pilot service launches today in North West London to help women who are experiencing psychological difficulties following pregnancy loss, still birth and neonatal loss, as well as birth trauma and women who have a fear of childbirth (tokophobia).

The development of this service will address a long-standing gap in provision, which the NHS Long Term Plan seeks to fill across all areas of England by 2023/24. This gap exists between interventions offered in primary care and community perinatal mental health services.

Funding from NHS England & NHS Improvement, will be invested by the NHS in North West London for this pilot and the new model will be evaluated from the outset to ensure that is meets the needs of this group of women. The service includes clinical psychologists and specialist midwives.  

The Maternity Trauma and Loss Care Service (M-TLCS) is jointly led by Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust (CNWL) and West London NHS Trust (WLT) in partnership with the NW London Local Maternity System (LMS). The M-TLCS will help around 350 women each year access specialist support.

Around 1,500 women with serious and long-term mental health needs are seen in existing perinatal mental health services per year across both CNWL and WLT.

Around 2,145 women each year are provided with support through a combination of specialist midwifery, consultant midwifery, and obstetric led clinics in maternity services.

In addition, there is a significant number of women with psychological needs resulting from their maternity experience who need more focused specialist support, provided in a timely manner. The CNWL and WL Maternity Trauma and Loss Care Service (M-TLCS) aims to provide access to this help at this crucial time in a family’s life.

The service offers women a combination of psychological therapy and specialist midwifery input. There will be a particular focus on women whose early life experiences make them more vulnerable to mental health difficulties.

This new service will build on the current perinatal service and work towards reducing the impact of birth related trauma on women and their families.

To find out more about the service visit the new service page online

 

How to access the service

For non-pregnant women (women who have experienced pregnancy loss, still birth or a neonatal loss or birth trauma), the M-TLC pilot service will accept all eligible referrals in the North West London area from today (Monday 26 July).

For pregnant women, the service will initially be available only to those receiving care at Chelsea & Westminster Hospital and West Middlesex Hospital maternity units. The service will then be extended out over a phased three-month period to incorporate all North West London maternity units in the following order by the end of 2021.

  • Northwick Park Hospital
  • Queen Charlottes Hospital and St Mary’s Hospital
  • Hillingdon Hospital

This website will be updated as soon as each of the other maternity units are able to accept referrals.

Referrals can be made online, if you are:

  • Aged 18+
  • Resident within one of the eight NWL boroughs: Brent, Ealing, Hammersmith & Fulham, Harrow, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Kensington & Chelsea, Westminster.

And

  • are between 28 days and up to 12 months after a birth or baby loss 

Or

  • are currently pregnant or within the first 28 days after a birth or baby loss and are receiving maternity care of from Chelsea and Westminster Hospital or West Middlesex Hospital maternity units