A WINCHESTER mother and baby unit is to feature in a new Louis Theroux documentary set to be broadcast this weekend.

The TV star visited Melbury Lodge, off Queens Road, while filming his latest programme, Mothers on the Edge, which focusses on post-partum mental health.

Throughout the documentary, Louis follows four mothers, their babies and their families as they battle a variety of mental health issues, both as inpatients and at home.

The unit, which is one of two hospitals to be included, is run by Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust, and provides round-the-clock support for mothers experiencing post-partum psychosis.

Louis said: “I enjoyed being on the unit. I found it to be a very human, warm place.

“There have been cuts in funding across the board in the National Health Service, but these units are one area where authorities have maybe had a sense that they need funding.

“This means you’re in a place where vulnerable people are being well taken care of and they’re exactly where they should be to get professional help, and they’re being supported to the point where they can go back in the world more equipped and in a better frame of mind.”

Post-partum psychosis affects around one in every 500 women who give birth, and can trigger a range of symptoms, from extreme low and high moods, to dangerous paranoia and delusions.

Staff at Melbury Lodge give intensive treatment and medication, with the aim to allow the majority of mothers to return home within six weeks.

l The documentary will air on BBC2 this Sunday at 9pm.