Extend Mother and Baby Units to admit mothers with babies older than 1 year

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closedDepartment of Health and Social CareOpened 16 March 2026Closed 16 September 2026

Background

Currently Mother and Baby Units admit mothers until their baby is 1 years old. We want the Government to review this and extend this past the 1-year mark.

Additional details

In our view, some mothers are being discharged from Mother and Baby Units while still severely unwell, leading to prolonged postnatal mental illness. I was discharged while actively suicidal, and my recovery took almost four years. As the postnatal period is recognised as lasting up to two years, specialist MBU funding must extend to reflect this clinical reality.

Where it’s popular

Constituencies with the most signatures on this petition.

Source: UK Government & Parliament Petitions service. Petition ID: 760369.