Assessment should be mindful of the risk to the woman and her unborn child or infant.

• Assessing clinicians will use the Perinatal Initial Assessment which can be found on care partner.
• When a woman in the perinatal period requires admission to hospital this will be a shared decision with the perinatal team taking into account the best interests of the unborn child/ infant and any others with parental responsibility.
• Anyone who is pregnant and requires admission to a mental health ward will be admitted initially to Ward 3 FVRH.
• All postnatal patients with parental responsibility will be assessed and based on the outcome of risk will be given the following care options:
  • Intensive home treatment
  • Admission to ward 3, without the baby
  • Admission to regional unit, with the baby
• Arranging a bed in regional unit requires authorisation by hospital managers and should be informed by the ANP or Consultant for perinatal services.
• The mother, with the support of the family, should be asked which regional mother and baby unit (either in Leverndale Hospital, Glasgow or St John’s Hospital, Livingston) would be their preference.
• While NHS Forth Valley will try to meet the families preferred choice before confirming admission to a regional unit with the woman and family admission to these units must be arranged by specialist perinatal clinicians.
• If the mother requires admission to an Intensive Psychiatric Care Unit (IPCU), they should be admitted to ward 1 FVRH.
• When the mother’s mental state improves the mother can be transferred directly to either a regional mother and baby unit or ward 3 FVRH.