Health Visitors - Changes in Role as well as Increase in Numbers

Further to a previous post, here is some background on the initiative to recruit more health visitors.

It appears that Heath Visitors are to have a key role as a result of the “Liberating The NHS” document, which plans to devolve the budget for public health onto Local Authorities, some of whom have already taken over responsibility for Health Visiting.

There is a government commitment to recruit 2,400 new Health Visitors (including return to practice initiatives) but many are leaving the profession because the expansion is tied to a responsibility for safeguarding vulnerable children.

Interestingly the numbers studying for the Health Visitor specialism at one university in the North are falling because of lack of available placements.

To some extent Public Health specialisms overlap, notably school nursing, sexual health nursing, and Health Visitor.

However it looks as if the lead professional for the 0 – 19 age range will be the Health Visitor. Notably, school nurse training places are not being commissioned in the same numbers as previously.