Cheryll Adams, acting lead professional officer for the union Unite, said many health visitors were nearing retirement age and there was no-one to replace them.
"We are going to lose a lot of health visitors to retirement, we have to look at that seriously," she said. "To do a three-year training course then come in to health visiting may not be the best approach." She said one option could be for older health visitors to train those entering the profession.
The DH has said 300 more health visitors are being trained this year and they expect numbers to rise next year.
In its response to the Facing the Future review of health visitors, published last week, the DH acknowledges: "Workforce planners will need to take into account the age of their health visitor workforce and future requirements to ensure sufficient training places are commissioned to meet local needs."
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