Routine PTSD screening for new mothers could save NHS £26 million a year

Women affected by PTSD are less likely to return to work a year later - (Getty Images)

Routine post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) screening for expectant and new mothers could save the NHS £26 million annually, according to a new study examining the financial toll of birth trauma.

The research by City St George’s, University of London, revealed that around one in 20 women suffer from clinical levels of PTSD after giving birth, yet fewer than half are referred to mental health support services.