£350,000 nursing care for 100 mums

A £350,000 cash injection will see 100 young Oldham mums given extra nursing care and support.

The hand-out, from NHS England’s Greater Manchester team, will give Oldham Community Services the ability to support first-time mums under the age of 20 from July.

Involvement in the scheme is voluntary, but experts say it will transform the life chances of local children.

The money will be used to expand a team of specially-trained and experienced nurses to support young mothers from early pregnancy through to their child’s second birthday.

The nurses will be integrated into existing child and family teams, which include health visitors and school nurses, and they will work closely with Oldham Council’s children’s services and children’s centres.

The programme is already up and running in other areas, including Wigan, Manchester and Bolton. Other benefits include a reduction in smoking in pregnancy and increased breastfeeding rates.