On this page…
Who we are
We are a free NHS support service working with women, birthing people, and families to offer psychological and emotional support. Our service has therapists, psychologists, assistant psychologists, specialist midwives and peer support workers.
Our role is to identify distress that has come from your maternity, neonatal or reproductive journey. We work to support trauma, lossand fear around pregnancy and the maternity setting.
How do I know if this service is for me?
This service is available to women and birthing people who live in Cheshire, Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens, Warrington and Wirral and who have experienced distress, loss or trauma during pregnancy and birth. It doesn’t matter how long ago you experienced this distress, loss or trauma – you can still access our service.
What sort of support does the service offer?
Psychological therapy and support for areas such as:
- Birth trauma
- Extreme fear of childbirth
- Miscarriage and stillbirth
- Loss in neonatal setting or neonatal period
- Loss of a baby to social care in the maternity setting following birth.
We can offer a choice of interventions for these difficulties, and we work really closely with other services to make sure you can receive the right care, in the right place, at the right time.
Our dedicated specialist perinatal midwives work to support the reduction of distress and to improve your wellbeing in pregnancy.
Who do we work in partnership with?
We work in partnership with your midwife, health visitor, GP and anyone else involved in your care. It would be typical for us to share essential information with those partners about your care. We will always discuss this with you in your appointments before sharing any information about you.
What can I expect on my first appointment?
At your first appointment we will aim to understand a little bit more about how things have been for you and how we can help you.
This will involve talking with a practitioner about some parts of pregnancy and your life, before and after becoming a parent (if this is something that applies to you).
How do I access the service?
You can be referred to our service by any healthcare professional such as midwives, health visitors, GPs, social workers, therapists or counsellors.Many of our appointments will be virtual, using video technology, or we might call you on the phone. We will also work to offer face to face appointments where this feels safe and appropriate. If you feel worried about any of this then you can talk to us.
Referring professionals
Referring to our service is simple and easy, please visit our website to download our referral form: www.merseycare.nhs.uk/mmhs
There is a ‘no wrong door’ approach when people are referred to us and we work with other professionals to provide high quality personalised care.
The service takes a multi-agency approach to supporting women and birthing people, with professionals from mental health and midwifery working in collaboration to provide a holistic offer to service users. We hold virtual multi-disciplinary meetings should you wish to discuss a referral with us in more detail.
Contact us
Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm
Tel: 0151 431 5163
Email: mcn-tr
To request this leaflet in an alternative format or language, please speak to a member of staff from the service. Our website is fully accessible and can be translated into other languages.
Alternative Formats
You can use the accessibility toolbar at the bottom of your screen to change the text size and colour contrast on this page.
There is a “translate” button in the Accessibility toolbar, at the bottom of this page, however, this tool is automated and may not be accurate.
Speak to a member of staff if you wish to request this page in Braille or have any other questions about accessibility.
You can use the “print this page” icon at the bottom of the page to save or print a PDF copy of this leaflet.