"Kindness, care and support shown to me"

I was under the care of the Perinatal Team for the majority of my pregnancy and for the full year following my daughter’s birth.

I can honestly say I don’t know if I would be here today had it not been for the kindness, care and support shown to me by every health professional that I encountered. I worked closely with Morag (CPN) and built a great relationship with her- I always felt I could trust her and she was always at the other end of the phone. Morag always made me feel listened to, she was very approachable and made me feel like she had all the time in the world for me and my daughter. She is a credit to her profession and will be a great loss to the NHS when she retires.

I was under the care of Dr Gleadow-Ware who always went above and beyond. She ensured I was seen at short notice during crisis periods and delivered a high standard of care and treatment plan that allowed me to remain at home with my family. She always made me feel heard and involved me in my care. Any patient who finds themselves under her care is extremely lucky and already has a head start in their journey.

I attended the ‘Finding Me’ group ran by Emma the OT in the team. This was invaluable in my recovery as it allowed me to look at ways to build my life back up and made friends that I felt were ‘on the same wave length’ as me and who I still keep in touch with. Emma also saw me one to one, she got me out the house when I struggled to cross the door and introduced me to a running programme that I still continue. I feel this is crucial in what is keeping me well even now.

I had never considered the role of an OT in a mental health team, and only realised how invaluable they are when I met Emma. I became proactive in my recovery through setting myself tasks and exercising. Emma is a real asset to this team.

I also encountered nurses Sandra and Louise, and psychologist Charlotte who all contributed to my recovery. They are all so caring and are definitely in the right profession. Sandra’s one to one sessions allowed me to feel like a ‘good mum’ as I got out the house and also did baby massage. Sandra was always at the other end of the phone for advice and was always supportive in my needs.

I hope this reaches the right people and this team are recognised for the amazing work that they do. As a healthcare professional myself, I can only hope that one day I will have such an effect on one of my own patients’ life.