New GP survey shows ‘chickens coming home to roost’ in health
visiting crisis
The health visiting crisis has been further highlighted by new
research revealing that more than 70 per cent of GP practices are
experiencing increased demands for postnatal care – the traditional
role of health visitors.
Unite, the largest union in the country, said that it predicted
four years ago the increased demand on GPs caused by the health
visiting cutbacks.
Unite, which embraces the Community Practitioners’ and Health
Visitors’ Association (CPHVA), said that ‘the chickens are coming
home to roost’; as the latest NHS workforce statistics revealed
that a full-time health visitor job was being lost every 27
hours.
The survey, carried out by Independent Nurse magazine, showed
that 71 per cent of 474 GPs who replied had seen an increase in
young mothers seeking help with problems, such as postnatal
depression, sleep disorders and feeding problems.
Some GPs said they felt ill-qualified to offer young mothers
advice and others warned they could not fill the health visitors’
child protection role.
The new findings dovetail with Unite/CPHVA’s own research last
year which showed that more than 40 per cent of health visitors
reported that communication with their clients’ GPs had become
harder in the previous two years.
Cheryll Adams, Unite lead professional officer, strategy &
practice development, said: "We welcome the new GP findings in as
much that it gives further evidence to our campaign to restore the
UK’s health visiting service for the benefit of families and
communities.
"We are unsurprised by the effects of health visitor cuts on GP
workloads with young families, as this was predicted four years ago
when the serious cuts started.
"Health visitors also started to be moved out of GP surgeries to
work in neighbourhood-based teams. This trend has made the vital
communication between doctors and health visitors more
difficult.
ENDS
Notes to news editors:
For further information, please ring: Cheryll Adams, lead
professional officer, strategy & practice development on 07712
678 281, Karen Reay, national officer, health on 07798 531 004, Obi
Amadi, lead professional officer, policy & external affairs,
07780 955 936 or Shaun Noble, communications officer (health
sector) on 020 7420 8951 or 07768 693 940.
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