Royal College of Midwives backs Parliamentary Bill pushing for better perinatal mental health care
The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) has welcomed a new Bill introduced to Parliament on Wednesday (22 October) by Laura Kyrke-Smith MP, which aims to make high-quality perinatal mental health assessments a routine part of antenatal care for all women in England. The Perinatal Mental Health Assessments Bill, known as Sophie’s Law, would ensure that […]
Why supporting women’s choices is key to protecting mental wellbeing
Supporting women’s choices in maternity care isn’t just about autonomy – it’s central to protecting mental wellbeing and ensuring safer outcomes for women and babies. In this blog, Lia Brigante, Professional Policy Advisor at the RCM, explains how personalised care, informed choice and the RCM’s Perinatal Mental Health Roadmap are helping midwives deliver care that […]
‘My baby’s smile pulled me back and reminded me I needed to keep going’
When it comes to perinatal mental health, lived experience can be one of the most powerful tools for change. For many midwives, the journey into supporting others begins with their own experience of struggling in silence. As the Royal College of Midwives launches its Perinatal Mental Health Roadmap calling for fair, consistent care across the […]
Royal College of Midwives warns postcode lottery is putting mothers’ mental health at risk
The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) is calling for urgent action to end the postcode lottery in perinatal mental health care across the UK. On World Mental Health Day (10 October), the RCM is launching a new roadmap calling for improvements to perinatal mental health care, as it emerges that: One in four women experiences […]
RCM says perinatal mental health should be everyone’s business as it marks World Maternal Mental Health Day
The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) has today called for urgent investment in perinatal mental health support as part of events for World Maternal Mental Health Day (7 May). Low mood and poor mental health affect many people, but during the perinatal period women can be particularly vulnerable. Pregnancy is often portrayed as a time […]
Spotlight on perinatal mental health at RCM’s national conference
With more women needing mental health support during pregnancy and in the postnatal period, the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) is putting perinatal mental health in the spotlight at its 2025 Conference. Delegates from the midwifery community, who are gathering in Birmingham this week, will hear from experts about how to deliver the vital support […]
‘Urgent action needed to improve maternity outcomes for women and babies’
‘Maternal deaths linked to issues in pregnancy show just how desperately maternity services need more specialist midwives’ that’s the message from the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) as it responds to analysis by the Institute of Global Health Innovation at Imperial College London who reviewed data released between 2022 and 2024 from the National Patient […]
Encouraging improvements in maternity services, but still work to do says RCM
The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) has welcomed the results of a national survey by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) which shows that women’s experiences of maternity care are improving in some areas despite the challenges facing services and staff. The RCM says it’s pleased to see an increase in the levels of perinatal mental […]