The Lawns Resource Centre Biggleswade Beds SG18 0PT
01234 263642
9am - 5pm, Monday to Friday
Gilbert Hitchcock House, Kimbolton Road, Bedford, MK40 2NU
Clinics for Service Users take place at Gilbert Hitchcock House.
Bedfordshire and Luton
About Us
The Perinatal Mental Health Team provides specialist care for people with mental health problems who are pregnant or in the first post-partum year, or who are considering pregnancy.
The team hold outpatient clinics in a number of locations around the county and provide joint psychiatric and obstetric appointments at the antenatal clinics at Luton and Dunstable Hospital, And Bedford Hospital.
Home visits can be arranged in late pregnancy and the early postpartum period.
What we offer
We provide specialist outpatient and community care to people who are pregnant or in their first year after having a baby. We also provide one off pre-conception counselling to people who have a history of severe mental illness and who are considering having a baby.
Your first appointment with us will either be with our consultant psychiatrist, Dr Sonia Sangha or a member of our team. This could be a Specialist Nurse, Social Worker, Occupational Therapist, or Nursery Nurse.
If we offer you further outpatient appointments these will usually be with Dr Sangha. In certain cases before you give birth we will hold a pre-birth planning meeting with you and the other professionals involved in your care to discuss how you will be supported during and after your labour.
After pregnancy then depending on the level of need you may also have home visits with one of our nurses in addition to outpatient clinic appointments.
How to Refer
You can make a self referral by filling in the online form or we do accept referrals from the following professionals:
- Health and social care professionals
- GPs
- Community psychiatrists
- Obstetricians
- Midwives
- Health visitors and social workers.
Confidentiality and consent
When you talk with a health professional in private you will expect that what is said remains confidential. This principle is central to trust between patients and their doctor or other health professionals. Details of your care and treatment, including anything you tell us, remains confidential and will only be shared within our multidisciplinary clinical team (which includes health and social care staff) if necessary.
All health professionals are bound by law and professional codes of conduct to this duty of confidentiality to their patients.
Making a Referral
If you live in the boroughs of Bedfordshire, City & Hackney, Newham or Tower Hamlets, and you are pregnant or have recently given birth and find you are suffering mentally or emotionally, please do not suffer alone.
You can fill in the Referral form by clicking on the link below and it will be sent to the team in your local area who will be in touch within 7 days.
If you are experiencing a mental health crisis or emergency and you or someone you know is in danger, you can contact our free phone Mental Health Crisis Support teams who are available 24/7, 365 days a year. Find the team where you live here>>
Peer Support Workers
Here at ELFT we are very lucky to have perinatal peer support workers as part of our team.
Our peer support workers are individuals with lived experience and have the accredited Royal College of Pyscharitity quailification, whilst also using their experience and empathy to help support a women’s wellbeing.
If you are supported by a Peer support worker, you will feel heard and understood as your sessions will be led by an individual with lived experience the approach is more holistic than medical.
Dad, 39, Bedfordshire & Luton
As a husband it was heart breaking and scary seeing my wife so ill, some days were so dark and scary I didn't recognise the person starring back at me. The hardest part was when you are ill any other time you're told go to a doctor, but when someone has thoughts and feelings so dark and worrying you almost hide away too scared to ask for help in fear of outcome to mother and baby.
It was a fear of being judged too, and on top of this I didn't know where to go or who to call for help that felt safe and who understood or would know that these feelings and thoughts can happen to a mum, to say: 'Its okay we can guide and support you.'
We did eventually get help but later than we should of. We are so grateful for the help we received in the end. Some days are still rocky but we know now where to go for help and we are weathering any dark days together as a family.
Get Involved
Find a collection of all the events that are being held within the Perinatal Team across East London and Luton & Bedfordshire.