First-of-its-kind post to improve care for parents and babies | News and events

Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT) has become the country’s first to appoint to a brand-new consultant role designed to further improve mental healthcare for parents, babies and children while forging closer links between services.

 

Consultant Psychiatrist Catherine Thomas will spend half of her time working with NSFT’s Community Perinatal Service and the remainder with Children, Families and Young People’s Services (CFYP) based in Great Yarmouth and Waveney.

 

It comes after the NSFT became the first in the country to advertise for a non-perinatal consultant to work in perinatal psychiatry in a move endorsed by the Royal College of Psychiatrists. Normally, posts are only open to consultants working in the specialty.

 

The new post has been designed to help forge closer links between the perinatal service, which provides care for parents and babies up until their first birthday, and CFYP services, which look after older children and their families. Its aim is to ensure a more seamless service for parents and babies who have received care from the perinatal team and require ongoing help as their children get older.

 

“NSFT was the first trust in the country to invite clinicians from other specialities to apply for the post of perinatal consultant,” said Dr Thomas. “The post provides an exciting opportunity to further develop the therapeutic work I’ve offered parents and infants throughout my career and gain experience in treating mothers with perinatal mental health difficulties. It also offers the chance to facilitate more collaborative work between the different services in NSFT to ensure the needs of young children are met.

 

“I’ve been interested in the parent and infant attachment relationship ever since I became a consultant. This role offers an opportunity to draw on that passion, and on my experience of working with high risk and complex mother and baby relationships, to benefit parents and their babies.

 

“Our perinatal service is in a strong position to continue to develop services for families in Norfolk and Suffolk, and I’m delighted to be part of that process.”