Pregnant women, mothers and their families are to benefit from a new specialist service offering tailored mental health treatment.

More than 1 in 10 women develop a mental illness during pregnancy or within the first year after having a baby and suicide is a leading cause of death for women during this period.

Until now most women have been supported by their GP, talking therapy services (Healthy Minds in Buckinghamshire and TalkingSpace Plus in Oxfordshire) and adult mental health teams run by Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust which provides mental health services in the two counties.

Last year Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire were successful in securing funding from NHS England to develop and expand the service.