Pregnant women and new mothers suffering from mental illnesses will soon have access to specialist care without fear of being separated from their babies, thanks to Westmead Hospital’s new unit.
The state’s second purpose-built Mother and Baby Unit (MBU) is expected to be fully operatable at Westmead Hospital as of next month.
The new facility is designed to keep families together when a mother requires hospitalisation for a severe perinatal mental illness.
Based at Redbank House, the eight bed unit will be staffed by specialist perinatal health professionals who can attend to the mental health needs of the mother, as well as facilitate appropriate care of the baby and promote positive mother-baby interactions.
The new unit will enable up to 120 women each year to receive specialist multi-disciplinary mental health care providing access to maternity, obstetric, paediatric and other medical services.
Professor Bill Brakoulias, Mental Health Executive Director at Western Sydney Local Health District, said the Westmead MBU is a welcome addition to the mental health services delivered in western Sydney.
“Greater western Sydney is a rapidly growing region with the highest birth rate in NSW,” Brakoulias said.
“The proportion of women receiving antenatal care in the first trimester is high and regular antenatal care is associated with better maternal health in pregnancy, fewer interventions in late pregnancy and positive child health outcomes.”
The service will be available to western Sydney residents, as well as those from other metro, rural and regional areas in NSW.
Each bedroom is large enough to accommodate a mother, their baby and a partner, and has been specially designed to meet different levels of care, as well as to create a family-friendly environment.
The unit will also offer patients a landscaped outdoor area for exercise, relaxation and family visits and will also include space and equipment for antenatal care, a 24-hour respite nursery, a parent craft room, a retreat room and consultation and group therapy rooms.
NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet, Minister for Mental Health Bronnie Taylor and Liberal Candidate for Parramatta Katie Mullens recently visited the new facility and the unit’s specialist team.
“This is an important next step in mental health services for the Parramatta area,” Mullens said.
“It’s investments like this which make a huge difference [to ensure] the current and future healthcare needs of the Parramatta and broader community are met.”
Ellie Busby is a news reporter for Western Sydney Publishing Group. A graduate of the University of Hertfordshire and Western Sydney University, she is a journalism Major. Ellie has worked with Universal Media, The Cova Project and for a range of other organisations. In 2024, Ellie was named Young Writer of the Year at the Mumbrella Publish Awards.