Overstretched health visitors each caring for up to 2,400 families with newborns

The sector’s most senior figure has warned that overstretched health visitors have been forced to care for up to 2,400 families with newborns at a time, which is ten times the recommended number.

Prompting fears that generations of babies could face a troubled future, Cheryll Adams, chief executive of the Institute of Health Visiting, said that as redeployment and sickness struck, some health visitors were having to care for thousands of families.

She went on to say “In the last five years, we have seen the number of health visitors cut by 30 per cent, then during the pandemic, as many as 50 per cent of staff were redeployed in some areas. That was devastating for families and for health visitors who were put under immense pressure.”

Health visitors look after development and health of children from birth until the age of five. In 2019 there were 6,931 full time health visitors in England, a reduction of 3,378 since the peak of 10,309 in October 2015.

Ms Adams added that if mothers felt isolated or lonely, they were at “much greater risk” of post-traumatic stress disorder or perinatal mental illness, and that “if perinatal mental health problems are not quickly identified it can have serious implications for both mother and baby. I am fearful, yes, I think we are going to see a group of babies who will have increased needs, including the need for secondary services as they get older.”

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Posted by Tony May, Partner/head of Clinical Negligence Department, Chadwick Lawrence LLP (tonymay@chadlaw.co.uk ), medical negligence lawyers and clinical negligence solicitors in Huddersfield, Leeds, Wakefield and Halifax, West Yorkshire.

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