What we do
The North London Foundation Trust (NLFT) Specialist Perinatal Mental Health Service (SPMHS), is a community based mental health service providing specialist assessment and treatment for patients, their partners, and babies with mental health difficulties and who:
- are planning a pregnancy and need advice
- are currently pregnant
- have a baby under 24 months old
Patients seen by our service must live in the five North Central London (NCL) Boroughs of Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Haringey, and Islington.
The service consists of core members of the multidisciplinary team including psychiatrists, clinical/counselling psychologists, family therapist, nurses, occupational therapists, nursery nurses, administrators and peer support workers.
Outpatient appointments will be provided at different locations within the five boroughs, and home visits can also be arranged if required.
Women and birthing people experiencing milder forms of perinatal mental health problems should consult their midwives, health visitor and GP for other support available in the NHS such as NHS talking therapies.
Patient contact
Other contact information
Mondays to Fridays, 9am - 5pm
Address
West Wing, First Floor
St Pancras Hospital
NW1 0PE
GP contact
Other referral information
- For professionals: Perinatal referral form for professionals | North London NHS Foundation Trust
- Self referral form: Perinatal self referral form | North London NHS Foundation Trust
- Been diagnosed at any time with a severe mental illness, (i.e. bipolar affective disorder/schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorder/postpartum psychosis/severe depression)
- Are currently open to a secondary mental health service
- Are experiencing new thoughts or acts of self-harm
- Have experienced a recent significant change in mental state
- Have a mental illness/psychological disturbance that can’t be managed by primary care services
- Have expressions of incompetency as a mother or estrangement from the infant
- Would benefit from advice on/review of psychiatric medication during pregnancy/breastfeeding (this includes provision for preconception advice and relapse prevention work)
In making your referral please consider functional impairment, level of social support, substance use, safeguarding issues and if there is a need for an immediate response. If the woman’s needs are acute and urgent referral to local crisis services should be considered.
- We are not able to provide services for substance misuse problems in the absence of mental health problems.
- Women experiencing milder forms of perinatal mental health problems should consult their midwives, health visitor and GP for other support available in the NHS such as talking therapy.
Referrals can also be made to a mother and baby unit when needed.
Age range treated 18+
SPMHS work with pregnant and postnatal women with moderate to severe mental health needs who live in the five London Boroughs of Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Haringey and Islington.
In certain circumstances SPMHS can also offer care to women who have GP’s in the five London Boroughs of Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Haringey and Islington when they live on the borders.
SPMHS offer outpatient clinic slots for women accessing obstetric care at the following five maternity centres:
- North Middlesex University Hospital (NMUH)
- Royal Free Hospital (RFH)
- Barnet Hospital
- University College London Hospital (UCLH)
- Whittington Hospital
SPMHS also see women in the community and in particular circumstances at home.
Our goal is to see new referrals within six weeks of receiving the referral. If the referral is deemed urgent we aim to see the woman within two weeks.
Women will generally be seen in outpatient clinics in the hospital or community. The team offers psycho-education and advice, assessment and information about other services.
Assessment, advice and treatment may be in collaboration with the woman’s usual psychiatric team where she has one, and alongside the midwifery and obstetric teams.
The service will agree a personalised care plan that embraces what is important to the woman during her pregnancy. We aim to promote wellbeing in the woman and her family and prevent relapse in pregnancy and the early postpartum period.
Comprehensive medication advice is available for those with mental illness on psychiatric medications who are planning a pregnancy, are pregnant or breast feeding.
We will support mothers in developing a healthy relationship with their infants, thus reducing the impact of maternal mental illness on child development. We also encourage the involvement of fathers or partners in the process.
Our aims;
- To improve the health and wellbeing of women who have, or are at risk of mental health problems and improve outcomes for women, their infants, partners and their families. We follow the NICE guidelines on Antenatal and Postnatal Mental Health.
- To detect, prevent and treat perinatal mental illness and allow women time to consider the treatment and support options available in order to receive safe and effective care.
- We will work collaboratively with families/carers, and various other statutory and voluntary services i.e. maternity services, obstetricians, health visitors, other secondary mental health services and GP’s to ensure good partnership working to support women’s physical and mental health needs.
- We are active with teaching and training other health professionals so that they can have a good working knowledge of how mental health problems affect women in pregnancy and after birth.
