Address
Lancaster House
Falcon Court
Preston Farm Industrial Estate
Stockton-on-Tees
TS18 3TS
Phone: 01642 368303
Service opening hours: Monday – Friday, 9am – 5pm (except bank holidays)
Please see information in leaflet about out of hours support
What is the perinatal mental health team?
The perinatal community mental health team provides a community service to support women who are experiencing mental health difficulties during pregnancy or in the first year after they have had their baby.
Why do we need a perinatal mental health team?
Mental illnesses affect more than one in ten women during pregnancy and the first year after childbirth. (Prevention in Mind. All Babies Count:Spotlight on Perinatal Mental Health. Sally Hogg, NSPCC 2013).
During pregnancy and after birth, women can be affected by a range of mental health problems including anxiety disorders, depression and postnatal psychotic disorders.
Some women are at increased risk of experiencing mental illness in the perinatal period, particularly those who have suffered from a severe perinatal mental illness such as post-partum psychosis, severe depression and those with bipolar disorder. (Antenatal and post natal mental health: clinical management and service guidance, December 2014. Nice guideline 192. National Institute for Clinical Excellence)
Who works in the team?
The team is made up of specialist community psychiatric nurses, a consultant psychiatrist, a psychologist, an occupational therapist, a peer support worker and a specialist nursery nurse, as well as our administrative staff.
Who does the team see?
The team supports women living in Teesside who are either pregnant or up to one year post-natal and who have been suffering with significant mental health difficulties, that requires specialist support from mental health services.
Who can refer me?
You can be referred by your GP, health visitor, midwife or another professional who works with you.
What will happen when I am referred?
You will be contacted by a member of the team to arrange a convenient appointment for your assessment. If we are unable to reach you by telephone we may send you an appointment by post. If you do not feel you need this appointment it would be helpful to let us know. Your initial appointment can last up to an hour and is an opportunity for you to discuss your current difficulties. You are welcome to bring a friend, family member or other professional to this appointment if you would find this helpful. Your baby may be present at appointments.
How can the team help me?
If we decide that the perinatal service is the best service to support you, you will be allocated to one of the clinicians within the team. They will then work with you to agree a care plan to help meet your individual needs and find solutions to support you on your road to recovery.
Will everything I say be kept confidential?
Everything you say, and the information about you, will be kept confidential with the perinatal team. The only instance in which we would need to break your confidentiality is if it was felt there was a risk to yourself or others, but we would speak to you about this.
Can my family and friends who care for me get help?
If you have an identified carer, we are able to offer them a carer’s assessment.
Out of hours support
If you need help outside of the perinatal team’s normal working hours, you can contact the crisis team in your area on freephone number:
Freephone: 0800 0516 171 (24 hours a day, seven days a week)
Getting a second opinion
If you’re not sure about a diagnosis or treatment suggested to you, you can ask for a second opinion, although you do not have a legal right to one.
First of all, ask us. We will ask another consultant to see you. Depending on the situation, this could be another consultant in our service, or in our trust, or a perinatal consultant who works for another trust.
L988, V6, 12/09/2022 (Archive: 12/09/2025)
