Siân Gwenllian, who represents the Arfon constituency in the Senedd which includes the city of Bangor and Ysbyty Gwynedd, will renew her call for a Mother and Baby Unit to provide perinatal mental health support for mothers and families in the north of Wales.

 

The only unit of its kind in Wales opened its doors in the Swansea area in 2021, but this week the Plaid Cymru Member of the Senedd for Arfon will make fresh calls for a unit to be opened within the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board area.

The current situation means that women living in her constituency suffering from perinatal mental health problems face a long drive to Swansea or have to travel over the border to receive support. 

In the Senedd, Short Debates can be proposed by a Member and are held each week that the Senedd meets in Plenary. This week, Siân Gwenllian will lead a short debate on the mental health problems associated with pregnancy and childbirth. She said:

“As part of this week’s short debate I will renew my calls to ensure that perinatal mental health services are provided in a consistent way across Wales, putting the needs of women, their babies and their families at the front of decision-making.

“Up to one in five women can develop perinatal mental health issues, 5% of mothers will suffer from a serious mental health problem, and around 2 to 4 per 1000 women who have a baby will need admission to hospital for their mental health problems.

“The evidence is clear. Nevertheless, the provisions across Wales are inconsistent.

“There remain significant gaps in specialist services in the north and we need an accessible Mother and Baby Unit, building on the experience gained since setting up the unit in the south. It is disappointing and concerning that a clear timeline for this work has not yet been developed.

“Any new provision must take account of the Welsh language needs of mothers and families, and previous talk of opening a Mother and Baby Unit in England, offering places for women from Wales would clearly face problems in catering for the needs of Welsh speaking families. However, mothers and babies from England could be welcomed to a Welsh-based unit within the Betsi area and would not face language barriers.

“I’m glad to have the opportunity to highlight these on-going concerns in the Senedd this week and I will continue to raise these matters until I am satisfied that there are clear plans to develop and extend perinatal mental health services for the women that I represent.”