Tag: health visitors

Families to have better access to childhood vaccinations

A new £2 million pilot in England will see health visitors reach families facing barriers to vaccines, to ensure more children are protected

  • Government to bring vaccines to doorsteps of families who can’t make it to the doctor
  • New pilot will reach families facing barriers like travel costs, language difficulties or vaccine hesitancy
  • £2 million pilot aims to close gap in healthcare inequalities

Health visiting teams will offer vaccinations to children, providing a vital safety net for families who might otherwise miss out. 

The new pilot targets families who’ve fallen through the cracks – including those not signed up with a GP, struggling with travel costs, childcare juggling, language barriers or other tough circumstances that stop them getting to the doctor. 

By offering vaccinations during routine health visits, the pilot removes these obstacles and ensures more children can access life-saving protection. 

Health visitors are specialist public health nurses who support families with children under five. They provide advice on healthy child development, feeding, and family health through regular home visits and clinic appointments.    

The twelve pilot schemes will roll out from mid-January across five regions of England – London, the Midlands, North East & Yorkshire, North West, and South West – designed to boost uptake and protect children from preventable diseases. 

While the scheme isn’t designed to replace your GP – families should continue to get vaccinated at their local surgery first – it supports families with children who’d otherwise slip through the net. 

Health and Social Care Secretary, Wes Streeting, said: “Every parent deserves the chance to protect their child from preventable diseases, but some families have a lot going on and that can mean they miss out.

“Health visitors are already trusted faces in communities across the country. By allowing them to offer vaccinations, we’re using the relationships and expertise that already exist to reach families who need support most.

“Fixing the NHS means tackling health inequalities head-on. By meeting families where they are, we’re not just boosting vaccination rates – we’re building a health service that works for everyone.”

The year-long trial will be evaluated before rolling it out across the country from 2027. 

Health visitors on the pilot will get extra training to tackle tricky conversations with worried parents – including those who have doubts about vaccination – and to give vaccinations safely. 

Struggling families will be identified by the NHS using GP records, health visitor notes and local databases. 

The pilots form part of the commitment to ramp up vaccination programmes, with over 18 million flu vaccines delivered this autumn – hundreds of thousands more compared to this time last year – and over 60,000 more NHS staff also getting their jab. 

The Westminster government is also investing in better digital services to help families track their child’s health and vaccinations. Through the new NHS App, parents will be able to monitor their children’s health using My Children – a 21st century digital alternative to the Red Book.

The pilot builds on the government’s commitment to Family Hubs and Start for Life programmes, which provide vital support for families during pregnancy and the early years of a child’s life, including health visiting services and parenting support.

From 2 January 2026, children will receive the new MMRV vaccine, protecting against measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox in one vaccine. This replaces the current MMR vaccine, and offers protection against chickenpox for the first time while making vaccination simpler for families. 

The UK government’s ‘Stay Strong. Get Vaccinated’ campaign also runs throughout the year to promote confidence in vaccination. 

Health visitors continue to provide crucial lifeline for families

Frontline community work continues despite COVID-19, thanks to the efforts of health visitors (HVs) like Laura Gordon. 

Since the pandemic began, Laura continues to manage a caseload maintaining frequent contact, building therapeutic relationships and providing a crucial role in providing support and advice to children and families in the Inverclyde community.

Home visits have had to be reduced, but Laura remains in the community doing face-to-face consultations at least two to three days per week. She believes providing swift support is key, and despite restrictions on face-to-face contact, health visitors around Greater Glasgow and Clyde have adapted to ensure families in need are able to receive the care and advice they require.

From increased telephone consultations and video calls to provide high quality care and support, to risk assessments over the phone before visiting to ensure use of the correct PPE, keeping children and families safe is a top priority.

Raising a new baby can be a stressful and challenging time in normal circumstances, and many new mothers rely on Laura as a key source and primary contact to help answer their questions, and support their babies and children with appropriate development.

Laura provides practical advice and support for topics relating to breastfeeding, nutrition, safety -including safe sleeping arrangements, illnesses and mental health, among others.

As well as the child’s physical and mental wellbeing, Laura works with families to ensure they have access to any services that they may require, including for urgent needs such as  financial aid or for food banks in the area.

HVs also continue to visit families with additional support needs, for example to support postnatal depression, parenting advice, and also in partnership with third sector agencies and social work for child protection support plans.

The nature of Laura’s remit means working collaboratively with families to find tailored solutions for their individual needs and circumstances.

Laura, who has worked within Inverclyde for a number of years, said: “Family life has changed massively since the pandemic began, and many families are under even more pressure than normal.

“Having a new baby is a huge transition and at this time most parents don’t have the support they would normally rely on. They can feel isolated and overwhelmed.  Having somebody to turn to during this time is extremely  important and contributes to the ongoing safety and wellbeing of their children.

“Inverclyde is among the most deprived areas in Scotland and some familes experience challenging circumstances and may have specific and urgent health needs without necessarily knowing what’s available and how to access the appropriate support. We can help them with that and facilitate access. This support can often provide lifelines when families are most in need.”

Inverclyde HVs are very much looking to the future and how they can embrace new methods of communicating effectively with families. Laura explains how they work on social media platforms to engage with patients.

Laura said: “By using Twitter and Facebook we can easily reach our families and provide key messages on all aspects of public health, including child development, brain development, perinatal mental health, weaning, nutrition, safety, safe sleep, immunisations, parental wellbeing, behavior management strategies, play and stimulation.

“The way we engage with patients may have changed due to COVID-19, but we are all still here, and we are all still working within the communities to help families access the services they need while providing them with practical advice and support so they get the best outcomes for their children.”