Bonnie asks:

"Enjoyed the discussion a couple weeks ago (or more) about health care
systems in other countries.  What is a health visitor?  What
qualifications/training does he or she have?"

I don't know if there are any health visitor Lacnetters - if not here's an
outline:

a health visitor is a nurse who has undergone further professional training
in health promotion, family support and community nursing.  She works soley
in the community ie not in hospital. Her main focus is the support of
families with children under five. She may work on a local 'patch', serving
all the families in that area, or she may be attached to a GP (family
doctor). This is likely to change slightly in the near future as the health
service is going over to a system of primary care groups.  *All*  families
with kids under five have a health visitor, and most will know her name.
She (ok, there are a few male HVs but not many)  will visit her families at
home when the new baby is 10-12 days old. Thereafter she will visit as and
when she and the mother think is necessary, and she will see 'her' mothers
at well-baby clinics, immunisation sessions, for routine developmental
assessments. She advises on feeding and weaning, potty training, sleep,
PND, welfare benefits, nursery schooling etc and is trained, like the
midwife, to see' deviations from the norm'. She may also be involved with
child protection issues. You get the picture.

Now - there is a huge variation in the levels of knowledge about
breastfeeding among HVs. Formal training in bf support is minimal, but this
is now changing a very little bit. Like all health professionals here,
level of knowledge and support depends far more on personal interest and
experience than formal training.  She can be very undermining to bf - but
when she's good, she can be a fantastic support. Most HVs today would say
they were pro-bf, I think, but of course that means nothing on its own.

Do health visitors exist anywhere else?


Heather Welford Neil
NCT bfc Newcastle upon Tyne