SHROPSHIRE’S acute hospitals are set to be one of the early implementer sites for 10 new mental health hubs being set up for new, expectant and bereaved mothers, NHS leaders have announced.

Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH) will be one of the sites at which the service will be up-and-running at in the coming months.

In total, 26 new hubs will be set up across the country. After the early implementer sites are set up, the remaining 16 hubs will open by April 2022.

Claire Murdoch, NHS England’s national mental health director, said: “Every woman has a unique experience with pregnancy and motherhood and some will need extra support to cope with mental health issues that can range from anxiety to severe depression.

“I am delighted that mothers across all areas of the country will be able to access this help if they need it.

“The NHS is here for everyone who needs help and the expansion of specialist care through the rollout of these maternal mental health services will strengthen the services already in place, enabling us to improve the quality of care and outcomes for many women.”

The new hubs will bring together maternity services, reproductive health and psychological therapy under one roof.

By the end of 2021-22 around 6,000 women will receive care and treatment for a wide range of mental health issues from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after giving birth to others with a severe fear of childbirth, it added.

As well as offering psychological therapies for new and expectant mothers the clinics will also provide training for maternity staff and midwives, NHS England said.

Every area will have one by April 2024 as part of the NHS Long Term Plan to increase access to psychological support for women before, during and after pregnancy, it added.

Dr Giles Berrisford, NHS England’s national speciality advisor for perinatal mental health, said that around a quarter of women experience mental health problems in pregnancy and during the 24 months after giving birth.

He added: “These maternal mental health services will provide vital support, meeting the specific needs of these women.

“Their establishment will significantly contribute to the overall commitment of the NHS to enable at least 66,000 women with moderate to severe mental health difficulties related motherhood to access specialist care by 2023-24.”