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OCEAN Mental Health Service (Bedfordshire & Luton)

OCEAN (Offering Compassionate Emotional Support for those Living Through Birth Trauma & Birth Loss) is an integrated maternity and mental health service providing support for those affected by birth loss or birth trauma. 

OCEAN Bedfordshire team
Address

John Bunyan House
3 Kimbolton Road
Bedford
MK40 2NT
United Kingdom

Telephone number
01234 290120

The service is provided by East London NHS Foundation Trust (ELFT) in partnership with Bedford Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. 

The OCEAN Service provides:

  • Specialist psychological treatment, care and support to those experiencing or those who have experienced a birth trauma and/or loss 
  • Targeted assessment/intervention for individuals identified with moderate/complex mental health needs arising from, or related to their maternity experience 
  • Therapeutic care that integrates psychological support, specialist midwifery support, and support around reproductive health. 
  • It provides support for individuals experiencing moderate to severe mental health needs arising from: 

Birth trauma 

  • Pregnancy loss (due to miscarriage, stillbirth, or termination for any reason) 
  • Neonatal death 
  • Parent infant separation following birth due to safeguarding concerns 
  • Severe fear of childbirth 
  • The aim is to provide joined-up care across mental health, maternity and reproductive health. This will fill in the gap where there is no other suitable existing service.

It is offering help to individuals who are wanting and ready to engage in psychologically based support. This service will provide planned care and is not able to provide crisis support. 

This service has been co-produced by service users, voluntary sector organisations, maternity voices partnership and other NHS partners. This has been key to how the service has been shaped based on real life experiences. 

Visit the East London OCEAN Mental Health Page

Healthcare professionals can refer into this service in the following ways:
•    Telephone (01234 290120); please call us to discuss someone you think could benefit from our support. We will talk with you to gather more details. If you need to leave a voicemail, we will get back to you within two working days 

•    Email (elft.bedlutonocean@nhs.net); please leave the name of the person you would like to refer and details of how we can telephone you to gather more information to complete the referral jointly 

Self referrals and referrals from carers/family members:
The service is open to self-referrals and referrals from carers/family members by contacting us by telephone or email using the details above.