Health visitors call for limits on 'impossible' 1,000-family caseloads
Summary
Health visitors in England manage large numbers of families, with some responsible for over 1,000 families, which the Institute of Health Visiting says is unmanageable. The number of health visitors has dropped nearly in half over the last decade, leading to concerns about the quality and safety of care for young children and their families.Key Facts
- Health visitors are trained nurses or midwives who support families with very young children.
- Their numbers in England fell from about 10,200 a decade ago to 5,575 in January, a 45% decrease.
- Some health visitors now have caseloads exceeding 1,000 families, while safe limits elsewhere in the UK are about 250 families per health visitor.
- The Health and Social Care Committee warned that without more staff, the government's goal to support every child’s early life will not be achieved.
- During the COVID-19 pandemic, many health visitors were reassigned within the NHS, reducing service availability.
- Families should receive five health visitor visits from late pregnancy to two years old, with the first three visits at home, but this is not happening consistently.
- Parents report that health visitor visits at home help better understand and support families compared to clinic visits.
- The government says it is committed to improving health visitor services but has not set strict caseload limits in England yet.
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