Findings from a survey of 1,186 frontline health visitors working with babies and young children highlight a rise in the number of families using food banks and skipping meals as a result of the cost-of-living crisis.
The Institute of Health Visiting’s (iHV) survey, which claims to be the largest of health visitors working with families in the UK, reveals:
- 93 per cent of health visitors have seen an increase in the number of families affected by poverty in the last 12 months.
- 89 per cent of health visitors reported a rise in the use of food banks among families.
- 78 per cent an increase in perinatal mental illness,
- 69 per cent an increase in domestic abuse.
- 63 per cent an increase in homelessness and asylum seekers.
- 50 per cent an increase in families skipping meals.
Of those that took part in the survey, some reported that ‘poverty is so widespread that it has become the norm’.
Health visitors also raised concerns about the wider impacts of poverty and increased parental struggle on children’s health, development and safety. More than 80 per cent said they have seen an increase in children with speech, language and communication delay, while 75 per cent have seen a rise in child behaviour problems.
A total of 70 per cent said they had seen an increase in children with autism, or signs of. More than 80 per cent reported a rise in children with safeguarding concerns that now fall below the threshold for children’s social care.
The iHV says that while health visitors saw millions of families last year, they are not able to meet the scale of rising need, meaning many babies and young children are not receiving support to improve their health and development when they need it.
According to the Institute, there continues to be a national shortage of around 5,000 health visitors in England and families face a postcode lottery of support.
'If we get the early years right, we can avoid so much harm later in life.'
Alison Morton, chief executive of the Institute of Health Visiting, said, ‘Our survey findings present a clear imperative to act. If we get the early years right, we can avoid so much harm later in life. The cuts to health visiting in England over the last eight years have been a false economy.
‘When sufficiently resourced, health visitors can take pressure off busy A&E departments and GPs, providing support for families in the heart of the community. The costs to rebuild the health visiting service in England are small compared to the spiralling costs of NHS treatment, child maltreatment and cumulative costs across the life course.’
Call for change
The iHV is calling for a number of key changes including a cross-government commitment that prioritises and invests in the first 1001 days, a greater focus on prevention and early intervention and a national plan to strengthen health visiting in England focusing on funding, the workforce and quality.
It also wants to close the temporary Covid amendment to ‘count’ non face-to-face health visiting contacts in the national health visitor service delivery metrics for England.