An annual survey by the Institute of Health Visiting (IHV) of 1,400 health visitors found that since family health services were transferred from the NHS to local authorities in October 2015 caseloads have increased markedly due to staff cutbacks.
According to NHS figures published in April the number of health visitors has fallen by 10 per cent over the last two years, from 10,309 in October 2015 to 9,259 in January 2017.
The IHV said this is leaving health visitors unable to offer a universal service and build close bonds with families in need of help. It said more than one in three (35 per cent) said they feel so stretched that there may be a tragedy at some point, up on 25 per cent when the same question was asked in 2015.
One in five (21 per cent) said they are now working with caseloads of more than 500 children, up on the one in eight (12 per cent) who had this number of cases two years ago.
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