Changes to Health Visitor Service Threaten ‘Massive Problems for Middle-Class’

By Kate Foster

MIDDLE-class parents will have their health visitor service cut to allow staff to concentrate on children at risk of abuse, under plans being considered by Scotland’s biggest health board.

Traditional drop-in clinics throughout Greater Glasgow have been placed under threat to allow health visitors to concentrate more of their efforts on families with drug problems.

There are also concerns that many parents will fail to get appointments with a health visitor due to a massive increase in their workload that will see them caring for neglected children up to the age of 19.

The plans are being considered by NHS Glasgow amid a sweeping review of health visiting services across Scotland. But they have sparked anger from nursing unions, doctors and patients, who say many parents will miss out on a vital service.

Health visitors are available to the families of newborn babies and offer drop-in clinics, appointments and home visits.

Drop-in clinics are usually held weekly at a GP surgery and allow mothers and health visitors to monitor babies’ progress and allow women to ask for advice on feeding, sleeping and post-natal depression.

They also give women the chance to meet other new mothers in their area.

But under the plans by NHS Glasgow all routine clinics are now “under review” to allow health staff to concentrate on children at risk from domestic abuse, their parent’s drug addiction or neglect.

Yesterday a spokeswoman for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde confirmed the move. Health board and council staff will decide whether drop-in clinics in each area should continue, be reorganised or scrapped.

Dr Phil Wilson, a Glasgow GP, warned that many ordinary families could lose a vital service: “Doctors are concerned that most families are no longer going to have their health visitor service and that is going to create massive problems. Health visitors do an amazing job and give a lot of support to families in cases of, for example, post-natal depression.”

A spokeswoman for health workers’ union Unison, said: “We do not feel that this review will improve the service.”

Critics also raised concerns at the prospect of middle-class taxpayers being denied a service that they fund. All community nursing in Scotland is under review and there are worries that other health boards might copy the move.

Margaret Watt, chairwoman of the Scotland Patients Association, said: “This is inappropriate. Health visitors are going to be used as glorified social workers.

“Ordinary families are going to be the forgotten ones and it is not right they should do without a service that they need.”

Gillian McIlreavy, 31, a sales executive of Kinning Park, said she found her health visitor “invaluable”.

She said: “I took my daughter to the drop-in clinic once a week for six months to have her weighed and get advice about breastfeeding and other issues. The idea of this service stopping is frightening.”

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