FOI 1698 – Maternity and Postnatal Mental Health
FOI Reference Number:
1698
Request:
Six-week checks:
1 – In line with the requirement brought in in April 2020 for GPs to offer a postnatal check six- to eight-weeks after birth (live and stillbirth) which focuses on the mother’s mental health and general wellbeing, please provide the information below:
A – How many women in your ICS area have given birth or had a stillbirth each year for the last three full financial years?
2019/20
2020/21
2021/22
B – How many women in your ICS area have been offered the six- to eight-week postnatal check with a GP each year for the last three full financial years?
C – How many women in your ICS area have attended the six- to eight-week postnatal check with a GP each year for the last three full financial years?
2 – In your ICS area,
A – Is there specific guidance given to GPs outlining how to ask about women’s mental health and general wellbeing at the six- to eight-week postnatal check? For example, carrying out a mental health assessment or using open-ended questions.
B – If you answered yes to question 2A, please provide a link or a copy of the guidance.
C – Please provide information about how you track compliance with the requirement that GPs ask all women about their mental health and general wellbeing at the six- to eight-week postnatal check.
Referrals to psychological therapies
3
A – Please provide figures for the total number of referrals to psychological therapy services, including IAPT and other national equivalents, following the six- to eight-week postnatal check with GP practices in your ICS area for the last three full financial years.
2019/20
2020/21
2021/22
B – Please provide the following information for those who were referred to psychological therapy services (including IAPT and other national equivalents) following the six- to eight-week postnatal appointment with the GP, for the last three full financial years:
How many women in your ICS area have been assessed within two weeks of referral?
How many women in your ICS area have not been assessed within two weeks of referral?
How many women in your ICS area have started treatment within four weeks of assessment?
How many women in your ICS area did not start treatment within four weeks of assessment?”
Response
Date: 25 November 2022
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION – DECISION NOTICE
Dear Sir / Madam,
FOI Reference Number: 1698
Six-week checks:
1 – In line with the requirement brought in in April 2020 for GPs to offer a postnatal check six- to eight-weeks after birth (live and stillbirth) which focuses on the mother’s mental health and general wellbeing, please provide the information below:
A – How many women in your ICS area have given birth or had a stillbirth each year for the last three full financial years?
2019/20
2020/21
2021/22
B – How many women in your ICS area have been offered the six- to eight-week postnatal check with a GP each year for the last three full financial years?
C – How many women in your ICS area have attended the six- to eight-week postnatal check with a GP each year for the last three full financial years?
2 – In your ICS area,
A – Is there specific guidance given to GPs outlining how to ask about women’s mental health and general wellbeing at the six- to eight-week postnatal check? For example, carrying out a mental health assessment or using open-ended questions.
B – If you answered yes to question 2A, please provide a link or a copy of the guidance.
C – Please provide information about how you track compliance with the requirement that GPs ask all women about their mental health and general wellbeing at the six- to eight-week postnatal check.
Referrals to psychological therapies
3
A – Please provide figures for the total number of referrals to psychological therapy services, including IAPT and other national equivalents, following the six- to eight-week postnatal check with GP practices in your ICS area for the last three full financial years.
2019/20
2020/21
2021/22
B – Please provide the following information for those who were referred to psychological therapy services (including IAPT and other national equivalents) following the six- to eight-week postnatal appointment with the GP, for the last three full financial years:
How many women in your ICS area have been assessed within two weeks of referral?
How many women in your ICS area have not been assessed within two weeks of referral?
How many women in your ICS area have started treatment within four weeks of assessment?
How many women in your ICS area did not start treatment within four weeks of assessment?”
Our response:
We hold the following information for Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust:
2020/2021: 11,446 births including 28 stillbirths
2021/2022: 11,614 births including 43 stillbirths
I can confirm that we do not hold this information for 2019/2020.
We do not hold the information required for us to be able to respond to your other questions.
We would recommend that you contact our Mental Health provider, Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, as they may be able to provide more information in relation to your request. The Trust can be contacted at the location below:
Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
https://www.derbyshirehealthcareft.nhs.uk/contact-us/freedom-information-requests
I hope that this answers your queries with the information we currently hold, but if I can be of any further assistance please do not hesitate to contact me.
If you are dissatisfied with the handling of your request, you have the right to ask for an internal review. Internal review requests should be submitted within two months of the date of receipt of the response to your original letter and should be addressed to:
NHS Derby and Derbyshire ICB
FOI Team
Scarsdale
Nightingale Close
Newbold
Chesterfield
S41 7PF
Or:
If you are not content with the outcome of our review, you may apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a decision. Generally, the ICO cannot make a decision unless you have exhausted the complaints procedure provided by the Derby and Derbyshire Integrated Care Board (ICB).
The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: Information Commissioners Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF, telephone 0303 123 1113, email casework@ico.org.uk.
Yours faithfully,
Kathryn Jacklin
FOI Officer
Derby and Derbyshire ICB
All information we have provided is subject to the provisions of the Re-use of Public Sector Information Regulations 2015. Accordingly, if the information has been made available for re-use under the Open Government Licence (OGL) a request to re-use is not required, but the licence conditions must be met. You must not re-use any previously unreleased information without having the consent from the ICB. Should you wish to re-use previously unreleased information then you must make your request in writing (email will suffice) to the FOI Lead via ddicb.foi@nhs.net. All requests for re-use will be responded to within 20 working days of receipt.
