OCEAN (Offering Compassionate Emotional Support for those Living Through Birth Trauma & Birth Loss) is an integrated maternity and mental health service providing support for those affected by birth loss or birth trauma.
A service for people who live or work in the London boroughs of City & Hackney, Newham and Tower Hamlets.
The service is provided by East London NHS Foundation Trust (ELFT) in partnership with Barts Health NHS Trust, Homerton University Hospital Foundation Trust (HUHFT) and Maternity Mates.
The OCEAN Service provides:
Specialist psychological treatment, care and support to those who have experienced a birth trauma and/or loss
Targeted assessment/intervention for individuals identified with moderate/complex mental health needs arising from, or related to their maternity experience
Therapeutic care that integrates psychological support, specialist midwifery support, and support around reproductive health.
It provides support for individuals experiencing moderate to severe mental health needs arising from:
Birth trauma
Pregnancy loss (due to miscarriage, stillbirth, or termination for any reason)
Neonatal death
Parent infant separation following birth due to safeguarding concerns
Severe fear of childbirth
The aim is to provide joined-up care across mental health, maternity and reproductive health. This will fill in the gap where there is no other suitable existing service.
It is offering help to individuals who are wanting and ready to engage in psychologically based support. This service will provide planned care and is not able to provide crisis support.
This service has been co-produced by service users, voluntary sector organisations, maternity voices partnership and other NHS partners. This has been key to how the service has been shaped based on real life experiences.