Ms Caroline McGuigan:

I was thinking about it after Deputy O'Reilly asked the question and referred to having more psychiatrists in maternity hospitals.

I have worked for many years with people who have gone through challenging mental health difficulties but they are no different from anyone here today because we are all human beings and we all have our ups and downs. I do not feel that more psychiatrists in maternity hospitals would be of particular benefit, but people's mindset, attitude and culture need to change. I had Conor when I was attending the psychiatric services and the assumptions that are made are unbelievable. A woman who goes into hospital to have a baby brings a record with her and is categorised and spoken to differently. It is fascinating to watch. We need a whole-hospital approach, and for everybody working in a maternity hospital to have the right attitude and mindset. For example, people should not make assumptions nor believe they know what is best for someone else. They should sit down and ask people what is best for them because people know themselves best.

It is horrible to go to a place when one has a psychiatric record. I had one for eight years and it is very instructive to read what people say about someone. If staff have a particular belief system which they carry into the workplace, it needs to be challenged. People should also be upskilled. I am entitled to a choice. If I want to talk to a nurse, a doctor, a psychiatrist or a psychologist I should be allowed to. When I was in psychiatric services, there were some nice people and there were others who should not have been working there. One of my biggest relationships was with Connie, who worked in the kitchen. She had not done her masters in psychiatry but she connected and that what it is all about.

Psychiatry has a very paternalistic approach and people make assumptions that because one has suffered with mental health or has other challenges, one needs a psychiatrist. One may need a good friend or a nice nurse. While advocacy is important, one should not make assumptions about a person who has come far enough in life to be admitted to a hospital to have a child. It is about listening and about giving people a choice. If they happen to want a psychiatrist, that is good. The latter is not, however, the only choice and it is not for everybody.