Perinatal clinic

The Perinatal Depression Clinic is located at the Royal Hospital for Women (RHW) and operates under the auspices of the Department of Liaison Psychiatry, Prince of Wales Hospital and RHW, and is supported by the Black Dog Institute.

Definition

Perinatal - throughout pregancy and up to one year postnatally.

The range of conditions seen at the clinic is broad but mainly covers the spectrum of depressive and anxiety disorders.   A significant proportion of antenatal referrals arise from the antenatal psychosocial 'screening' program taking place for all public patients at RHW over the last 2 years.  Hence, the clinic is an integral part of service provision to women delivering through the RHW and living in the Eastern Sydney Area. 

Aim

The aim of the Perinatal Clinic is to provide patients with an assessment, a management plan, and recommendations concerning the use of medication in pregnancy and breastfeeding. 

Although a small number of women are managed through the clinic, the majority are referred either for cognitive therapy groups at RHW and POWH or into the private sector for ongoing management. 

Who's Who

• Assoc. Prof. Marie-Paule Austin, Consultant Perinatal Psychiatrist
• Annette Taylor, Clinic Secretary

Making an Appointment (only for Eastern Sydney clients)

Contact:

Clinic Secretary - 02 9382 6665 

Clinic hours:

Wednesdays

Location:

RHW Medical Suite, 2nd Floor, Royal Hospital for Women, Randwick, NSW 2031.

Referrals

The Perinatal Clinic accepts referrals from women presenting throughout the perinatal period (ie. antenatally and up to one year postnatally). Generally these referrals will arise from:

• Within the RHW (eg. midwives and obstetricians)
• Primary care staff community (eg. GPs and Early Childhood Nurses in Eastern Sydney Area).
• All patients must have a referral from a doctor as they will be bulk billed.

Before your appointment

On the day of your appointment please check that you have the following:

• Your Medicare card (the cost of the clinic is covered by Medicare)
• A detailed referral
• A list of your current medications
• The results and dates of previous investigations.

Your Initial Visit

On your visit to the clinic the following is likely to occur:

• An initial interview is conducted by a consultant psychiatrist, or the registrar
• The consultant psychiatrist will then undertake a detailed assessment and discuss with you the history and course of your depression or mood swings. 

After Your Visit

• A report is sent back to the referral source and any other professional that you name as being involved with your management. 

More Information

Apart from the Perinatal Mental Health Clinic, the RHW also run Antenatal groups (eg Stress Management groups) and the Social Work Department at RHW offers counselling services to pregnant women and those with young infants.  Women must be booked in to have their baby at the RHW and/or live in Eastern Sydney to be eligible for any of these services.

Location and contact details: Royal Hospital For Women, Barker Street, Randwick NSW 2031 Australia, Tel:  +61 02 9382 6111, Fax:  +61 02 9382 6513.