Current status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 28 October 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the action that it is taking to ensure that all NHS boards are delivering maternity and neonatal psychological intervention services.
The Scottish Government is committed to improving perinatal and infant mental health services across Scotland. Anyone with more complex grief where engagement with specialist mental health services would be particularly beneficial should be able to access support through Maternity and Neonatal Psychological Intervention (MNPI) services, as part of their maternity and neonatal care.
Since 2019, our continued investment has resulted in a substantial increase in MNPI services across Scotland. All NHS Boards now provide these services either from a dedicated local team or, for very small Board areas, via pathways to MNPI care in larger Boards that host the maternity hospitals where the patient is receiving inpatient care.
To support greater funding stability, since 2025-26, funding is now included in the recurring baselined funds made available to NHS Boards to use flexibly to deliver the outcomes in the Enhanced Mental Health Outcomes Framework, which includes outcomes related to improving Perinatal and Infant Mental Health services.