NHS trust set to axe up to 60 health visitors

Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is planning to cut 38 full-time equivalent health visitor posts - which union Unite said could equate to as many as 60 members of staff out of a total workforce of about 138, as many staff work part-time hours.

Unite has criticised the proposals, claiming the loss of jobs could have a direct impact on child protection.

Unite's lead officer for health in the East Midlands, Garry Guye, blamed the planned cuts on ongoing "efficiency savings" within the NHS and a squeeze on the public health budget controlled by Nottinghamshire County Council.

"The contract carried out by the trust on the council's behalf is set to decline from £15.4m this year to just over £13.6m in the financial year 2018/19," he said.

"Unite is strongly opposed to the proposed reduction in health visitor numbers and we are in the process of preparing counter proposals.

"We are calling for an urgent meeting with the trust management when we hope to raise genuine concerns about the wider professional issues.

"This is a very serious development in Nottinghamshire. Vital child protection and safeguarding services will be under threat as there will be fewer health visitors employed.

"The trust is wrong and misguided if it believes that this work can be delegated to less-qualified staff who are not registered by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), which is a key professional benchmark."

A spokesperson for Nottinghamshire Healthcare said the organisation will deliver a new public health contract for 0- to 19-year-olds on behalf of Nottinghamshire County Council that requires "a new service model in line with the new service specification".