NIHR ARC South London · Maternity & Perinatal Mental Health
Improving maternity and perinatal mental health through research, collaboration and lived experience
Working in partnership with women, families, NHS services, local authorities and voluntary organisations across south London — generating evidence to improve policy, practice and care.
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Since October 2019, the Maternity & Perinatal Mental Health Theme at NIHR ARC South London has generated evidence to reduce inequalities in maternity care — for women and babies across south London and nationally.
About the Programme
A partnership built on research, evidence and lived experience
The Maternity & Perinatal Mental Health Theme was one of the research themes within the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) South London — a partnership between universities, NHS organisations, local authorities, charities and communities.
Based at King's College London and led by Professor Jane Sandall CBE, the programme ran from October 2019 to March 2026. The team spanned researchers, midwives, psychiatrists, psychologists and public involvement specialists — working in close partnership with NHS Trusts, community organisations and women with lived experience.
South London is one of the most ethnically diverse and socially varied parts of the UK — making it both a place where inequalities in maternity care are acutely felt, and an ideal base from which to develop solutions that can benefit communities nationally and internationally.
Read More About Us
45%
reduction in risk of preterm birth for women receiving community-based midwife continuity of care
48%
reduction in combined maternal and perinatal deaths through community-based mentoring in Sierra Leone
922k+
women included in the largest real-world study of midwife continuity of care in England
5
critical factors identified for improving open disclosure in NHS maternity services — DISCERN study
Our Impact
Research that changes policy and practice
Improving health and care extends beyond producing research evidence. Throughout the programme we worked with clinicians, commissioners, policy makers, community organisations and women with lived experience to ensure our findings translated into meaningful, lasting change.
National Policy
Informing guidance that saves lives
Our findings have informed the NHS Better Births Review, the Three-Year Delivery Plan for Maternity and Neonatal Services, NHS England's Core20PLUS5 equity framework, and the NHS 10 Year Health Plan's commitment to shifting care from hospital to community.
Clinical Practice
Changing how services are delivered
Evidence from our programme led to the adoption of community-based midwifery continuity models for women at greatest risk — including those from minority ethnic groups — improving outcomes and experiences of care across England.
Implementation
Getting evidence into practice
We developed training films used by NHS Trusts across England, the RELAX online anxiety intervention for pregnant women, and co-produced resources ensuring our research findings reach the clinicians, policymakers and women who need them most.
Patient & Public Involvement
Working Together
Partnership working was central to everything we did. PPIE was embedded throughout the programme — with women, families, peer researchers and community organisations helping to shape research priorities, study design, interpretation and dissemination.
Women contributed to journal articles and conference presentations, trained as peer researchers, and helped develop a values charter for trauma-informed research engagement.
PPIE was led by Mary Newburn, alongside peer researchers including Rachael Buabeng, Vita Moltedo and others with personal experience of maternity care.
Explore Our PPIE Work
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Our findings provide a potential solution to mitigating inequities in maternity care. Women get to know the small team of midwives, receive care close to home, and know that their midwives will coordinate with the wider health team when needed. One of the priorities in the NHS 10 Year Health Plan is shifting care from hospital to community — and our findings are supportive of this plan.
Professor Jane Sandall CBE
Professor of Social Science & Women's Health, King's College London
Theme Lead, NIHR ARC South London
Theme Lead, NIHR ARC South London
Explore the Website
Discover our research
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Research Portfolio
Explore the programme's research projects, collaborations and capacity building — from large flagship studies and investigator-led projects to doctoral research and international collaborations.
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Impact
Discover how our research has influenced national policy, improved clinical practice and supported implementation — with case studies showing the real difference our work has made for women and families.
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Patient & Public Involvement
Learn how women, families and communities shaped our research at every stage — from co-designing study materials and training as peer researchers to co-producing publications and presenting at conferences.
Learn About PPIE
Notice
NIHR ARC South London — Programme Closure
From October 2019 to March 2026, NIHR ARC South London brought together researchers, health and social care practitioners and local people to improve health and care across south London. This website provides a record of the maternity and perinatal mental health theme's work and will remain live until September 2026. Read more about the programme's legacy →
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