Doyle welcomes establishment of Perinatal Mental Health Teams

Aontú Councillor for Derry, Emmet Doyle, has warmly welcomed the news that Perinatal Mental Health Teams are recruiting in the Western Trust following funding allocated by the Department of Health last year.

Councillor Doyle said: “I am delighted that the recruitment of the new perinatal mental health team is well underway at the Western Trust.

"The teams will provide an invaluable support base for mothers who are currently pregnant or in the postnatal period and are experiencing mental health difficulties or have done so in the past.

"Referrals to the new teams can be made via mental health practitioners or GPs and it is to the credit of the Trust that this new specialist team will be in place soon after the funding for the new regional service was established.”

A spokesperson for the WHSCT added: "The Western Health and Social Care Trust is delighted to have secured funding from the Department of Health to establish a Perinatal Mental Health Service.

"The Trust is in the process of recruiting staff to deliver this service across the Trust area.

"The new multidisciplinary community perinatal mental health team will provide wrap-around maternity and mental health care to women in the perinatal period experiencing mental health difficulties."