Abstract
BACKGROUND: A published audit demonstrated that a pilot psychiatric clinic failed to capture predicted numbers of women with severe and enduring mental illness. METHODS: On the basis of recommendations from this audit, along with those from the Royal College of Psychiatrists and NICE guidelines, a more comprehensive psychiatric service was developed to meet this demand and therefore manage risk more effectively. RESULTS: Over the course of a year, the new service attracted a higher rate of referrals of pregnant women with severe and enduring mental illness. The majority referral source continued to be midwifery-led. CONCLUSIONS: Audit is a useful tool for evaluating and informing service development and helped us identify further improvements needed to deliver an effective mental health service.