What is a health visitor?
A health visitor is a qualified nurse or midwife who has undertaken further training and qualifications in child health, health promotion and public health.
What is a health visitor's role?
Health visitors work with families using a plan of care developed together to give all children the best possible start in life. As part of the plan families and health visitors may work closely with other healthcare professionals including: midwives, GPs, hospital staff, children's centres and social care.
The sort of things health visitors can help with include:
- Your health
- Your family's health
- Postnatal depression and helping you adjust to becoming new parents.
- Access to the Specialist Breastfeeding Support Clinic
Health visitors can also listen, advise and direct families to more specialist advice for:
- Antenatal and post-natal depression
- Family conflict
- Unhappy or violent relationships
- Serious illness
- Disabilities
- Bereavement
- Settling into a new culture for families who have recently arrived from another country