Clare Daly
Question:79. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health the status of the implementation of the perinatal mental health strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48155/17]
View answerWednesday, 15 November 2017
Questions (79)
Written answers
The Specialist Perinatal Mental Health Services - Model of Care for Ireland document has been approved by the National Mental Health Clinical Advisor Group Lead and the Senior Management Team in the HSE's Mental Health Division. It is currently at design and final proof stage, and it is hoped to launch the document at the end of November 2017.
This Model of Care specifically addresses the needs of women with moderate to severe mental health problems/illnesses through the provision of specialist hub teams, one based in each Hospital Group. The HSE's Mental Health Division, in recognition of the importance of the issue, included in its 2016 Service Plan the development of a model of care for the specialist component of perinatal mental health services. The Maternity Strategy also includes seven actions on mental health to be implemented by the HSE's National Women & Infants Health Programme which is charged with implementing the Strategy, these are addressed in the Model of Care. The National Clinical Lead for Specialist Perinatal Mental Health is working closely with the Women and Infants Health Programme Office to implement services in line with the agreed Model of Care.
The Clinical Lead and Programme Manager of the Working Group have provided an Implementation Plan and will continue to work closely with the National Women & Infants Health Programme on the additional resources required in each of the 6 hub sites to build the specialist perinatal specialist teams. In the meantime, the National Clinical Lead and the Programme Manager have completed 3 of 6 site visits to hub hospitals as recommended in the Model of Care. The remaining 3 hospital site visits (Maternity Hospitals in Dublin) are scheduled to take place in the week of 13 of November.