Petition · Department of Health and Social Care

Extend Mother and Baby Units to admit mothers with babies older than 1 year

Open for signatures 73 signatures

What the petition asks

Currently Mother and Baby Units admit mothers until their baby is 1 years old. We want the Government to review this and extend this past the 1-year mark.
In our view, some mothers are being discharged from Mother and Baby Units while still severely unwell, leading to prolonged postnatal mental illness. I was discharged while actively suicidal, and my recovery took almost four years. As the postnatal period is recognised as lasting up to two years, specialist MBU funding must extend to reflect this clinical reality.

Timeline

16 Mar 2026 Petition opened for signatures

Key facts

Signatures 73
Status Open for signatures
Department Department of Health and Social Care
Opened 16 Mar 2026

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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 26 Jul 2026.