CYP Now - Health visitor cuts put ‘children at risk of harm’

Health professionals have warned that cuts to health visiting and school nursing services in Hampshire risk harming children and could be replicated across England.

Babies will recieve one mandatory visit from health visitors under new plans. Picture: Adobe Stock

Hampshire County Council is looking to reduce its children and young people’s public health nursing service budget by £2.09m a year.

But the Institute of Health Visiting (IHV) and the School and Public Health Nurses Association (SAPHNA) say the move will reduce health visitors and nurses role in safeguarding children.

In letters written to the council and Public Health England, the two organisations say the cuts will “drastically cut the support available to families and strip out the mechanism to identify vulnerable children”.

Under the planned cuts, 47 posts will be lost, which equates to 12.5 per cent of the workforce, say the unions.

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