The Kingfisher Mother and Baby Unit (MBU) at Hellesdon Hospital has received Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCP) recognition for the quality of care provided.
The unit, which is run by Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT) and is currently celebrating its fifth anniversary, has supported more than 270 women with their perinatal mental health since opening in 2019,
The Perinatal Quality Network accreditation marks the end of an 18-month process demonstrating that the teams meet high standards for quality of care.
The MBU offers hospital admissions for expectant mothers and mothers with babies up to 12 months old when home treatment is not appropriate. It supports mothers to safely stay with their babies as they recover and learn to manage their mental illness, which can include post-natal depression, severe anxiety and postpartum psychosis, a serious mental health condition which can cause hallucinations and delusions and can severely disrupt thinking, emotions and behaviour.
The unit takes a holistic and whole-family approach, which is further strengthened by links built with NHS and voluntary organisations. Last year, the unit launched an outreach service to support mothers once they go home and collaborates with community perinatal teams to increase support at home to avoid admission.
The multidisciplinary team includes mental health nurses, psychologists, psychiatrists, nursery nurses, support workers, occupational therapists, midwives, parent infant therapist and a health visitor. NHS England (NHSE) representatives were impressed by the unit and the expert knowledge of staff when they visited recently.
Mandy Kirby, lead nurse from our Mother and Baby Unit at Hellesdon Hospital said: “This accreditation is a credit to the team for all their hard work and determination, especially Justine our ward manager. It is with great pride and fantastic team work that we have finally achieved this goal.”
NSFT Chief Executive, Caroline Donovan said “I am delighted by this fantastic news, which is particularly significant as our MBU celebrates its fifth anniversary.
“The team’s dedication, hard work and commitment to excellence have played a pivotal role in this success. It truly takes a village to raise a child, and their collective efforts have made this milestone possible. Now, our focus must be on sustaining this momentum and continuing to deliver exceptional care.”
