Yesterday in Parliament, I put forward a bill to improve mental health care for new mothers.
NHS health check-ups 6 weeks after birth are already routine. But it’s about time they included mental health. Currently, almost half of new mothers who experience mental health problems don’t receive any help or treatment. Many don’t even have their issues identified by a professional. It’s extremely worrying.
For #InternationalWomensDay tomorrow, I’ve tabled a private member’s bill that would give all mothers a 6 week mental health check up to tackle post-natal depression. We must do better from new mums and their babies! Here’s an article I wrote on the bill: https://t.co/uZGzTpIZV7
— Wera Hobhouse MP (@Wera_Hobhouse) March 7, 2019
Post-natal mental health issues aren’t new and they aren’t uncommon. It’s time to remove the stigma. We need to encourage new mothers to discuss their emotional wellbeing and provide them with the support they need.
Today is International Women’s Day and a year since I introduced my bill to make upskirting a specific criminal offence. We made the government sit up and take notice then – and we’ll do it again.
I’m demanding better than this sidelining of women’s mental health. It’s a dereliction of duty of care to both new mothers and their babies to allow it to go on.
Liberal Democrats have been fighting for parity between physical and mental health services for a long time. It’s core to our beliefs. Will you join our campaign to help put an end to mental health injustices?