APPG ON MATERNITY – 6 November 2013 ‘Maternal Mental Health’
Agenda:
2.30
2.35
2.40
2.50
3.00
3.10
3.15
3.45
3.55
4.00
Attendees arrive
Welcome from the APPG’s chair, David Amess MP
First speaker, Ron Gray from the National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit, will speak
about the work he is currently doing on the perinatal mental health indicator set
Second speaker, Jane Whitworth, a perinatal mental health champion for the
Institute of Health Visiting who will speak about the role of health visitors in
promoting good postnatal mental health
Third speaker, Beckie Lang from Tommy’s will speak about the recent report
published by Tommy’s, RCM, Institute of Health Visiting and Netmums into
experiences of women and health professionals of perinatal mental health services
The final speakers, Louise Heard and Savi Robinson will speak about Sheffield Light,
a community-based organisation that offers peer support to women with postnatal
depression.
The discussion will be opened up to questions, firstly from parliamentarians and
then from any other attendees.
The panel speakers will be invited to make any brief final comments.
Closing remarks from the chair
Meeting closes
Speakers:
Ron Gray FRCPsych, Senior Clinical Research Fellow at National Perinatal
Epidemiology Unit
Ron graduated in Medicine from Glasgow University in 1982. After postgraduate training in Psychiatry, he worked as a Consultant Psychiatrist in the
NHS for eight years. In 1999 he started training in Public Health Medicine in
Glasgow completing an MPH at Glasgow University in 2000. Between 2002 and
2003 Ron was a Commonwealth Fund Harkness Fellow in International Health
Care Policy based at Harvard School of Public Health. Ron joined the unit as a clinical epidemiologist
in October 2003.He is an Honorary Consultant in Public Health with Oxfordshire Primary Care trust
and he is a Trustee and Board Member of the Faculty of Public Health.
Jane Whitworth, Perinatal Mental Health Champion and health visitor,
Insitute of Health Visiting
Jane has been a health visitor for over 20 years. She has worked in Milton
Keynes, Portsmouth and currently Swindon where in addition to working her
health visiting caseload in a mixed area to the south if Swindon, she is currently
a Practice Educator, Prescribing Lead and a Perinatal Mental Health Champion.
Jane has been working with women suffering from mild to moderate postnatal
depression throughout her career. In Swindon she has been involved in running courses entitled
’Understanding Postnatal Depression and Anxiety’, a joint project with Mental Health colleagues.
She recently became one of the new ‘Champions’ after attending the Institute of Health Visiting
training and is currently planning, along with fellow champions, the roll out of this training to all
health visiting staff.
Dr Beckie Lang Health, Health Campaigns Manager for Tommy’s
Dr Lang works on the Tommy’s Five Point Pregnancy Plan which includes diet,
exercise, obesity, smoking and mental health, developing projects and resources
to support the promotion of healthy lifestyle behaviours to aid positive pregnancy
outcomes. She works across these topics, working with other key stakeholders
including pregnant women and health professionals to ensure awareness is
raised, and to understand opportunities and barriers to behaviour change. Her background is in
public health nutrition and her area of interest is pregnancy and the early years.
Louise Heard and Savi Robinson, co-founders of Light
Light aims to provide support to complement NHS provision for women
and their families who are suffering from mental illness in and around
childbirth and raise awareness of PND in the Sheffield region. Louise is a
full-time homemaker and volunteer for Light working directly with mums
and co-ordinating the administration. After the birth of both children she
suffered severe postnatal depression. Savi began volunteering with the
NHS at the Perinatal Mental Health Centre to gain some experience after
completing her Psychology degree. She is working towards a clinical
psychology doctorate but became involved in Light after hearing some of the harrowing stories
about women’s experiences and wanted to help make a difference to individuals.