New mothers to be offered mental health support.

Thousands of new, expectant or bereaved mothers will receive help and support for mental health problems through dozens of new "dedicated hubs".

The 26 new hubs will bring together maternity services, reproductive health and psychological therapy under one roof, ministers say.

Birmingham and Shropshire will be among the first places to benefit from the changes.

Around 6,000 women will receive care and treatment for a wide range of mental health issues from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after giving birth to others with a severe fear of childbirth.

NHS England chief executive Simon Stevens said: “The pregnancy and the birth of a new child are a special time for families but if things go wrong it can have a huge impact on women, their partners and even other children.

“That is why the NHS is developing maternal mental health services to help them get back on track as part of our Long Term Plan."

As well as offering psychological therapies for new and expectant mothers the clinics will also provide training for maternity staff and midwives, health officials said.

Ten sites will be up and running within months with the remainder opening by April 2022.

Claire Murdoch, NHS England’s national mental health director, said: “Every woman has a unique experience with pregnancy and motherhood and some will need extra support to cope with mental health issues that can range from anxiety to severe depression so I am delighted that mothers across all areas of the country will be able to access this help if they need it.

“The NHS is here for everyone who needs help and the expansion of specialist care through the roll out of these maternal mental health services will strengthen the services already in place, enabling us to improve the quality of care and outcomes for many women."