About this service
This service provides care and support for women experiencing mental health problems during pregnancy and up to two years postnatally. We offer specialist perinatal mental health assessments, which focuses on both the needs of mother and infant, and management/treatment for women suffering moderate-complex or severe mental illness such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, bipolar affective disorder and post-partum psychosis. We can also help women with a history of severe mental illness who are planning a pregnancy, or who have become pregnant and are at high risk of relapse during pregnancy or the postnatal year. Care is provided across Dorset to women in their own homes wherever possible, enabling them to maintain their roles as mothers while their mental illness is safely treated. When required, we also have a dedicated mother and baby inpatient unit at Florence House, in Bournemouth, which offers 24-hour specialist support. If you feel that you, or someone you know, might benefit from this kind of support, please talk to your GP, midwife, health visitor or other healthcare professional, who can then make a referral to the perinatal service. Referral form for professionals. We welcome referrals from healthcare professionals such as GPs, community mental health teams, midwives, health visitors, maternity departments and social workers. However, any referrals for potential admission to the Florence House inpatient unit should be discussed with the team first. Out of hours referrals requiring an emergency response will be undertaken by the psychiatric liaison team.
This service provides care and support for women experiencing mental health problems during pregnancy and up to two years postnatally. We offer specialist perinatal mental health assessments, which focuses on both the needs of mother and infant, and management/treatment for women suffering moderate-complex or severe mental illness such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, bipolar affective disorder and post-partum psychosis. We can also help women with a history of severe mental illness who are planning a pregnancy, or who have become pregnant and are at high risk of relapse during pregnancy or the postnatal year. Care is provided across Dorset to women in their own homes wherever possible, enabling them to maintain their roles as mothers while their mental illness is safely treated. When required, we also have a dedicated mother and baby inpatient unit at Florence House, in Bournemouth, which offers 24-hour specialist support. If you feel that you, or someone you know, might benefit from this kind of support, please talk to your GP, midwife, health visitor or other healthcare professional, who can then make a referral to the perinatal service. Referral form for professionals. We welcome referrals from healthcare professionals such as GPs, community mental health teams, midwives, health visitors, maternity departments and social workers. However, any referrals for potential admission to the Florence House inpatient unit should be discussed with the team first. Out of hours referrals requiring an emergency response will be undertaken by the psychiatric liaison team.