The Oxfordshire Perinatal Mental Health Service delivers care to women and their families during the perinatal period, through a multidisciplinary approach which includes psychiatrists, psychologists, specialist nurses, nursery nurses, peer support workers and admin team. The team support women experiencing moderate to severe mental health difficulties during pregnancy and up to one year postpartum.

The nomination

The Oxfordshire Perinatal Mental Health Service was nominated by their colleague Perinatal Office Manager for the Oxfordshire Perinatal Mental Health Service Deborah Henwood – for their dedication, compassion, and excellence in supporting women and families during one of the most vulnerable periods of their lives.

Deborah commented:

“This multidisciplinary team consistently goes above and beyond to deliver specialist care to women experiencing mental health challenges during pregnancy and the postnatal period. Their work is not only clinically outstanding but also deeply human, ensuring that every woman feels heard, supported, and safe.

“Feedback from service users consistently highlights the team’s warmth, professionalism, and life-changing impact. Many women describe the service as a lifeline, praising the team for restoring hope and helping them rebuild confidence during a time of crisis.

“The Oxfordshire Perinatal Mental Health Service exemplifies everything this award stands for: compassion, excellence, and a relentless commitment to making a difference. They are truly exceptional people, and their work deserves to be celebrated.”

The service users said:

“I really am forever grateful; it’s thanks to people like you who help people like me to live a much better life, and I hope you always know how special you are. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.”

“I have been under the care of the perinatal mental health team for some time, and I just wanted to express how amazing my care has been.”

“Being a first-time mum struggling massively was such a hard thing to come to terms with, but with the exceptional care of the team, I now feel like I am doing a great job.”

“I am so very grateful for the support you and your team have given me. The work we did was life changing and has helped me to become a much happier, more confident mum. I had been dealing with crippling PTSD, and I am now in a real place of healing and moving forward with my life.”

“I couldn’t have done it without your support and the rest of your team. So, thank you very much.”