Responding to NHS England figures showing more than 57,000 new and expectant mums received specialist support for mental health problems over the last year, Sean Duggan, chief executive of the NHS Confederation’s Mental Health Network said:

“The rising number of new and expectant mums receiving perinatal mental health support is very welcome and testament to the hard work of our members setting up new clinics in every part of the country so that more women can access this support.

“Helping mothers will reduce the likelihood that children will experience their own mental health issues, reducing the personal cost of mental illness as well as the demand on services in the long run.

“The expansion in services shows just how far additional funding into mental health can go and also highlights the power having a Long Term Plan for Mental Health can have in setting ambitious priorities for the sector. However, the previous Long Term Plan ended in March this year, and it is vital that a plan for the next five years is published so leaders can keep making progress.

“But while more than 57,000 women receiving specialist support is a step in the right direction, there is still a long way to go to provide perinatal support to all the new and expectant mothers who could benefit from it. That is why it is still crucial that the Long Term Workforce Plan is fully funded so that our members can continue to build on these improvements.”