Now £833,000 is to be invested in improving perinatal mental health services across Staffordshire, Stoke-on-Trent and Shropshire that will directly help around 850 mothers by 2021.

The funding will provide greater community services and improve access to existing services for more women.

Alexandra Birch, Programme Lead for the Pan Staffordshire Maternity Transformation Programme said: "We know that perinatal mental health issues have a huge impact on mothers, their babies and their wider families. The impact is felt not only in the perinatal period, but for years to come.