Stakeholder views on the design of National Health Service perinatal mental health services: 360-degree survey

Abstract

Aims and method At the start of a new community perinatal mental health service in Scotland we sought the opinions and aspirations of professional and lay stakeholders. A student elective project supported the creation of an anonymous 360-degree online survey of a variety of staff and people with lived experience of suffering from or managing perinatal mental health problems. The survey was designed and piloted with trainees and volunteer patients. Results A rich variety of opinions was gathered from the 60 responses, which came from a reasonably representative sample. Respondents provided specific answers to key questions and wrote free-text recommendations and concerns to inform service development. Clinical implications There is clear demand for the new expanded service, with strong support for provision of a mother and baby unit in the North of Scotland. The digital survey method could be adapted to generate future surveys to review satisfaction with service development and generate ideas for further change.