Health boards in the north of Scotland will receive an additional £85,000 to develop more intensive, specialist mental health support for perinatal women and their families.

Social care and mental wellbeing minister Maree Todd, in a letter to the Scottish parliament’s health committee, said that the funding will support the first phase of efforts to develop intensive treatment services for new mothers and their families in the region.

Plans to expand capacity of mother and baby units for new mothers with complex needs will not go ahead until the pause on new capital spending has been lifted, she also confirmed.

The long-awaited reset of the infrastructure investment plan has now been indefinitely postponed as a result of the resignation of Humza Yousaf as First Minister, from its original publication date at the end of this month.

Ms Todd said she is “determined” to enhance support in the north of Scotland despite the financial restrictions, saying in her letter that the funding signifies a key step in making sure women and families in need can access high level, specialist help and support wherever they live in Scotland.

It comes just months after the government renewed its commitment to the Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Fund which supports third-sector organisations working in this space.

Mother and baby unit capacity expansion

There are currently two mother and baby units, each with six beds, in Scotland – one hosted by NHS Lothian, and the other by NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde.

In 2022, Holyrood’s health committee highlighted “significant inconsistencies” in access to these units, concluding that there is a “strong and compelling” case for a new unit in the north of Scotland.

Just over four in ten respondents to a Scottish government consultation on the best way to expand capacity said that a new unit should be developed outwith the central belt, with the most popular location being Grampian.

The consultation was to feed into an assessment of the best options, to be conducted by NHS National Services Scotland, but this has not been made publicly available.

Ms Todd said in her letter that she and her team are still considering the options appraisal.

She also confirmed the continuation of the mother and baby unit family fund, which supports families with expenses incurred when visiting a loved one admitted to a unit.

The terms and conditions are currently being reviewed, she added, to ensure the fund is of best use to the families that need it.

Read more: Funding boost to support new parents’ mental health; ‘Fundamental shift' needed for perinatal care

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