To ask the Minister of Health (i) whether data is being collected on the mental health outcomes of mothers up to one year postpartum; and (ii) how this data is informing the design and delivery of services.

I can confirm that (i) data is being collected on the mental health outcomes of mothers up to one year postpartum. This data collection is part of a broader effort to monitor and improve perinatal mental health services.

The Perinatal Mental Health Service has been gathering pre and post-intervention questionnaires for various support groups such as the Postnatal Support Group, Emotional Regulation Group, and Incredible Babies Group. These questionnaires are collected when a patient enters the service, during treatment, and on discharge, which includes up to one year postpartum.

We are also exploring how Perinatal Mental Health Outcomes can be reported at both regional and trust levels, to support more comprehensive monitoring and service improvement.

In summary, the collection and analysis of data on the mental health outcomes of mothers up to one year postpartum are integral to our efforts to enhance and tailor perinatal mental health services across Northern Ireland.

The data collected is crucial for informing the design and delivery of services. It helps in understanding the effectiveness of current interventions and identifying areas for improvement. For example, the Southern Trust Perinatal Mental Health Team has completed surveys with women on their caseload, which includes assessments on admission and discharge, and at various points during treatment. This ongoing assessment helps tailor the services to the needs of the women and informs continuous service improvement

Furthermore, the data informs broader strategic initiatives such as the development of community perinatal mental health teams across all Trusts, which aim to provide specialist services for mothers experiencing mental health issues during the perinatal period. This is part of a phased approach to enhance perinatal mental health services regionally.