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A new mother from York has spoken out about the urgent need for improved access to specialist mother and baby units (MBUs) after she was compelled to travel 90 miles for emergency treatment during a postpartum mental health crisis. Thirty-year-old Lizzy Berryman experienced postpartum psychosis just four days after giving birth, leading to her being sectioned and transferred in a hospital car to Derby while she was “soaked in urine.”
Due to a lack of available beds at the only MBU in Yorkshire, located in Leeds, Lizzy was sent to the nearest unit able to provide care for psychosis and severe postnatal depression. NHS data reveals that over the past five years, around 100 women from Yorkshire have had to seek MBU care outside their local area, with some traveling as far as Birmingham or London. Lizzy described her ordeal: “I was soaked in my own urine because I’d been pushing as if I was giving birth again every time I was in psychosis.”
The mental health episode followed a traumatic birth earlier in 2024, where Lizzy’s condition swiftly deteriorated into psychosis—a serious state characterized by hallucinations, paranoia, and severe insomnia. She recalled struggling with simple tasks such as making tea or changing her baby’s nappy, eventually becoming so distressed that her family had to restrain her at home until an ambulance arrived. Once sectioned at York Hospital, Lizzy was informed there were no beds available closer to home. She then underwent eight weeks of intensive treatment in Derby, during which her husband Adam and family faced the financial and emotional strain of finding nearby accommodation. When Adam’s paternity leave ended, Lizzy felt isolated and deeply lonely, missing the support and presence of her partner during a crucial time in her recovery.
Although Lizzy eventually stabilised and her section was lifted, she believes that the distance from home impeded her healing process. She emphasized the importance of proximity to loved ones for emotional support and reintegration: “I was so vulnerable at that time and I needed to be somewhere I could feel safe. If I’d been near York I could have seen friends and family and started integrating back into real life.” Having now fully recovered and returned to work, Lizzy praised the care she received in Derby but remains an advocate for expanding specialist units across the country to avoid similar situations.
Commenting on the wider situation, NHS sources acknowledge that the Leeds MBU—currently with eight beds—is expanding to 14 in the near future, though demand remains high. Aylesbury MP Laura Kyrke-Smith described access to these units as a “postcode lottery,” noting that some regions are effectively “complete deserts” for maternity mental health care. She highlighted a grim statistic: “The statistics sadly remain that suicide is the leading cause of death for women from six weeks to a year after giving birth, which is shocking and appalling.” Experts emphasize that MBUs provide an appropriate and compassionate environment for mothers experiencing severe postpartum mental illness, warning against treatment in general psychiatric wards that are often unsuitable for new mothers.
In response to these concerns, representatives from the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England stressed their commitment to expanding mental health services and explained that MBUs are planned based on concentrated clinical expertise at centralised locations such as Leeds. They acknowledged the challenges posed by geography and emphasized ongoing efforts to improve collaboration across regions to ensure better access for new mothers in need of specialist care
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
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