Health visitors are part of the nursing profession and regulated by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). Health visitors are qualified and registered nurses or midwives who have undertaken an approved training programme in Specialist Community Public Health Nursing - Health Visiting.<\/p>
The NMC has the general function of promoting high standards of education and coordinating all stages of education to ensure that health visitors are equipped with the knowledge, skills and attitudes essential for professional practice, including continuous professional development (CPD). The NMC set the standards of education and training for the nursing profession expected at undergraduate and postgraduate level and approve curricula set by individual higher education institutes. In so doing, they set out the knowledge, skills and behaviours that both postgraduate and undergraduate nurses must be able to demonstrate.<\/p>
CPD is a term used to describe a number of different training and development activities which may be required for the purposes of professional practice in the National Health Service. The NMC requires 35 hours of CPD relevant to scope of practice in the three year period since registration was last renewed, or joining the register.<\/p>
The NMC are in the process of rewriting their standards. For example, in the new pre-registration nursing standards the NMC specify that registrants must have proficiencies in identifying risk and vulnerability, in all settings and across the lifespan and would expect post-natal depression to be included in the curriculum.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4545", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord O'Shaughnessy"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Lord O'Shaughnessy"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2018-09-17", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "groupedQuestionUIN" : {"_value" : "HL9965"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-09-17T13:50:13.717Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "17"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2018-09-04", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Health Visitors"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask Her Majesty's Government what training health visitors receive to enable them to identify incipient and actual cases of ante-natal depression, post-natal depression, and other maternal mental health issues.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4301", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Baroness Hodgson of Abinger"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Baroness Hodgson of Abinger"} ], "uin" : "HL9964"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/967472", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department of Health and Social Care"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/967472/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
Health visitors are part of the nursing profession and regulated by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). Health visitors are qualified and registered nurses or midwives who have undertaken an approved training programme in Specialist Community Public Health Nursing - Health Visiting.<\/p>
The NMC has the general function of promoting high standards of education and coordinating all stages of education to ensure that health visitors are equipped with the knowledge, skills and attitudes essential for professional practice, including continuous professional development (CPD). The NMC set the standards of education and training for the nursing profession expected at undergraduate and postgraduate level and approve curricula set by individual higher education institutes. In so doing, they set out the knowledge, skills and behaviours that both postgraduate and undergraduate nurses must be able to demonstrate.<\/p>
CPD is a term used to describe a number of different training and development activities which may be required for the purposes of professional practice in the National Health Service. The NMC requires 35 hours of CPD relevant to scope of practice in the three year period since registration was last renewed, or joining the register.<\/p>
The NMC are in the process of rewriting their standards. For example, in the new pre-registration nursing standards the NMC specify that registrants must have proficiencies in identifying risk and vulnerability, in all settings and across the lifespan and would expect post-natal depression to be included in the curriculum.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4545", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord O'Shaughnessy"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Lord O'Shaughnessy"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2018-09-17", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "groupedQuestionUIN" : {"_value" : "HL9964"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-09-17T13:50:13.78Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "17"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2018-09-04", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Health Visitors"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask Her Majesty's Government what continuous professional development health visitors are required to undertake to enable them to identify incipient and actual cases of ante-natal depression, post-natal depression, and other maternal mental health issues.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4301", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Baroness Hodgson of Abinger"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Baroness Hodgson of Abinger"} ], "uin" : "HL9965"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1139449", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department of Health and Social Care"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1139449/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Government wants children to get the best start in life, recognising the lasting impact this has on health outcomes and life chances. The Department is working in partnership with Public Health England, the National Health Service and Local Government Association to modernise the Healthy Child Programme, with an initial focus on the first 1,001 days and early years, to improve a range of childhood outcomes including early development and school readiness. Health visitors, with other professionals, have an essential role supporting babies and their families.<\/p>
The Interim People Plan, published in June, sets out the vision for people who work in the NHS to enable them to deliver the NHS Long Term Plan. Within this are specific plans for supporting community nurses, through growing pre-registration clinical placement capacity, a clear emphasis on high-quality learning experiences being provided within community settings. There is also a clear commitment to work with partners to identify how to support growth in the community workforce including district nursing, general practice nursing, health visitors and school nursing.<\/p>
A Specialist Community and Public Health Nurse apprenticeship (Level 7) is currently in development. This will offer an alternative route directly into the health visiting profession. There are also nursing apprenticeship pathways currently in place to become a Registered Nurse, following which an individual has the option to choose to complete a postgraduate course to go onto qualify as a health visitor.<\/p>
<\/p>
<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4065", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dame Jackie Doyle-Price"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Thurrock"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Jackie Doyle-Price"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-07-25", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "groupedQuestionUIN" : [{"_value" : "277601"} , {"_value" : "277602"} ], "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-07-25T10:01:36.29Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "17"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2019-07-16", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Health Visitors"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has in place to tackle the variation in the (a) quality of health visiting services and (b) delivery of the Health Child Programme among local authorities in England.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/114", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Tim Loughton"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "East Worthing and Shoreham"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Tim Loughton"} ], "uin" : "277600"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1139450", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department of Health and Social Care"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1139450/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Government wants children to get the best start in life, recognising the lasting impact this has on health outcomes and life chances. The Department is working in partnership with Public Health England, the National Health Service and Local Government Association to modernise the Healthy Child Programme, with an initial focus on the first 1,001 days and early years, to improve a range of childhood outcomes including early development and school readiness. Health visitors, with other professionals, have an essential role supporting babies and their families.<\/p>
The Interim People Plan, published in June, sets out the vision for people who work in the NHS to enable them to deliver the NHS Long Term Plan. Within this are specific plans for supporting community nurses, through growing pre-registration clinical placement capacity, a clear emphasis on high-quality learning experiences being provided within community settings. There is also a clear commitment to work with partners to identify how to support growth in the community workforce including district nursing, general practice nursing, health visitors and school nursing.<\/p>
A Specialist Community and Public Health Nurse apprenticeship (Level 7) is currently in development. This will offer an alternative route directly into the health visiting profession. There are also nursing apprenticeship pathways currently in place to become a Registered Nurse, following which an individual has the option to choose to complete a postgraduate course to go onto qualify as a health visitor.<\/p>
<\/p>
<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4065", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dame Jackie Doyle-Price"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Thurrock"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Jackie Doyle-Price"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-07-25", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "groupedQuestionUIN" : [{"_value" : "277600"} , {"_value" : "277602"} ], "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-07-25T10:01:36.34Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "17"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2019-07-16", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Health Visitors"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate he has made of the deficit in trained health visitors.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/114", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Tim Loughton"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "East Worthing and Shoreham"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Tim Loughton"} ], "uin" : "277601"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1139451", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department of Health and Social Care"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1139451/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Government wants children to get the best start in life, recognising the lasting impact this has on health outcomes and life chances. The Department is working in partnership with Public Health England, the National Health Service and Local Government Association to modernise the Healthy Child Programme, with an initial focus on the first 1,001 days and early years, to improve a range of childhood outcomes including early development and school readiness. Health visitors, with other professionals, have an essential role supporting babies and their families.<\/p>
The Interim People Plan, published in June, sets out the vision for people who work in the NHS to enable them to deliver the NHS Long Term Plan. Within this are specific plans for supporting community nurses, through growing pre-registration clinical placement capacity, a clear emphasis on high-quality learning experiences being provided within community settings. There is also a clear commitment to work with partners to identify how to support growth in the community workforce including district nursing, general practice nursing, health visitors and school nursing.<\/p>
A Specialist Community and Public Health Nurse apprenticeship (Level 7) is currently in development. This will offer an alternative route directly into the health visiting profession. There are also nursing apprenticeship pathways currently in place to become a Registered Nurse, following which an individual has the option to choose to complete a postgraduate course to go onto qualify as a health visitor.<\/p>
<\/p>
<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4065", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dame Jackie Doyle-Price"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Thurrock"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Jackie Doyle-Price"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-07-25", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "groupedQuestionUIN" : [{"_value" : "277600"} , {"_value" : "277601"} ], "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-07-25T10:01:36.373Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "17"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2019-07-16", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Health Visitors"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department has taken to measure the adequacy of the health visitor workforce to implement the Healthy Child Programme.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/114", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Tim Loughton"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "East Worthing and Shoreham"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Tim Loughton"} ], "uin" : "277602"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1105877", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department of Health and Social Care"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1105877/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
Data on the number of recommended health visitor visits carried out in the United Kingdom are not available in the format requested.<\/p>
<\/p>
The health visitor service delivery metrics currently cover the antenatal contact, new birth visit, the six-eight week review, the 12-month review and the two-two and half year review and can be viewed at the following link:<\/p>
<\/p>
<\/p><\/td> | 2009<\/p><\/td> | 2010<\/p><\/td> | 2011<\/p><\/td> | 2012<\/p><\/td> | 2013<\/p><\/td> | 2014<\/p><\/td> | 2015<\/p><\/td> | 2016<\/p><\/td> | 2017<\/p><\/td> | 2018<\/p><\/td><\/tr> | ||||||||||
England<\/p><\/td> | 8,100<\/p><\/td> | 7,849<\/p><\/td> | 7,802<\/p><\/td> | 7,687<\/p><\/td> | 8,304<\/p><\/td> | 9,162<\/p><\/td> | 10,236<\/p><\/td> | 9,521<\/p><\/td> | 8,497<\/p><\/td> | 7,884<\/p><\/td><\/tr> | ||||||||||
Of which<\/p><\/td> | <\/p><\/td> | <\/p><\/td> | <\/p><\/td> | <\/p><\/td> | <\/p><\/td> | <\/p><\/td> | <\/p><\/td> | <\/p><\/td> | <\/p><\/td> | <\/p><\/td><\/tr> | ||||||||||
East Midlands<\/p><\/td> | 619<\/p><\/td> | 615<\/p><\/td> | 631<\/p><\/td> | 630<\/p><\/td> | 685<\/p><\/td> | 741<\/p><\/td> | 826<\/p><\/td> | 791<\/p><\/td> | 742<\/p><\/td> | 619<\/p><\/td><\/tr> | ||||||||||
East of England<\/p><\/td> | 784<\/p><\/td> | 778<\/p><\/td> | 698<\/p><\/td> | 522<\/p><\/td> | 594<\/p><\/td> | 668<\/p><\/td> | 777<\/p><\/td> | 744<\/p><\/td> | 663<\/p><\/td> | 628<\/p><\/td><\/tr> | ||||||||||
Kent, Surrey and Sussex<\/p><\/td> | 553<\/p><\/td> | 518<\/p><\/td> | 507<\/p><\/td> | 420<\/p><\/td> | 469<\/p><\/td> | 550<\/p><\/td> | 671<\/p><\/td> | 635<\/p><\/td> | 562<\/p><\/td> | 519<\/p><\/td><\/tr> | ||||||||||
North Central and East London<\/p><\/td> | 384<\/p><\/td> | 403<\/p><\/td> | 389<\/p><\/td> | 406<\/p><\/td> | 433<\/p><\/td> | 553<\/p><\/td> | 670<\/p><\/td> | 630<\/p><\/td> | 443<\/p><\/td> | 427<\/p><\/td><\/tr> | ||||||||||
North East<\/p><\/td> | 488<\/p><\/td> | 501<\/p><\/td> | 571<\/p><\/td> | 596<\/p><\/td> | 659<\/p><\/td> | 673<\/p><\/td> | 672<\/p><\/td> | 422<\/p><\/td> | 346<\/p><\/td> | 166<\/p><\/td><\/tr> | ||||||||||
North West<\/p><\/td> | 1,386<\/p><\/td> | 1,329<\/p><\/td> | 1,317<\/p><\/td> | 1,414<\/p><\/td> | 1,463<\/p><\/td> | 1,602<\/p><\/td> | 1,793<\/p><\/td> | 1,733<\/p><\/td> | 1,674<\/p><\/td> | 1,586<\/p><\/td><\/tr> | ||||||||||
North West London<\/p><\/td> | 298<\/p><\/td> | 237<\/p><\/td> | 237<\/p><\/td> | 351<\/p><\/td> | 425<\/p><\/td> | 470<\/p><\/td> | 511<\/p><\/td> | 506<\/p><\/td> | 498<\/p><\/td> | 510<\/p><\/td><\/tr> | ||||||||||
South London<\/p><\/td> | 444<\/p><\/td> | 434<\/p><\/td> | 430<\/p><\/td> | 361<\/p><\/td> | 334<\/p><\/td> | 388<\/p><\/td> | 458<\/p><\/td> | 420<\/p><\/td> | 366<\/p><\/td> | 328<\/p><\/td><\/tr> | ||||||||||
South West<\/p><\/td> | 663<\/p><\/td> | 663<\/p><\/td> | 599<\/p><\/td> | 452<\/p><\/td> | 599<\/p><\/td> | 565<\/p><\/td> | 619<\/p><\/td> | 412<\/p><\/td> | 370<\/p><\/td> | 312<\/p><\/td><\/tr> | ||||||||||
Thames Valley<\/p><\/td> | 337<\/p><\/td> | 324<\/p><\/td> | 307<\/p><\/td> | 348<\/p><\/td> | 336<\/p><\/td> | 347<\/p><\/td> | 389<\/p><\/td> | 364<\/p><\/td> | 324<\/p><\/td> | 275<\/p><\/td><\/tr> | ||||||||||
Wessex<\/p><\/td> | 326<\/p><\/td> | 308<\/p><\/td> | 323<\/p><\/td> | 360<\/p><\/td> | 394<\/p><\/td> | 457<\/p><\/td> | 554<\/p><\/td> | 514<\/p><\/td> | 489<\/p><\/td> | 446<\/p><\/td><\/tr> | ||||||||||
West Midlands<\/p><\/td> | 889<\/p><\/td> | 872<\/p><\/td> | 895<\/p><\/td> | 918<\/p><\/td> | 1,039<\/p><\/td> | 1,197<\/p><\/td> | 1,287<\/p><\/td> | 1,237<\/p><\/td> | 1,091<\/p><\/td> | 1,027<\/p><\/td><\/tr> | ||||||||||
Yorkshire and the Humber<\/p><\/td> | 929<\/p><\/td> | 867<\/p><\/td> | 898<\/p><\/td> | 908<\/p><\/td> | 875<\/p><\/td> | 953<\/p><\/td> | 1,009<\/p><\/td> | 1,113<\/p><\/td> | 929<\/p><\/td> | 1,041<\/p><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table> Source: NHS HCHS monthly workforce statistics, NHS Digital<\/p> <\/p> NHS Digital began to collect and publish data on staff, including health visitors, in some English independent sector healthcare organisations, from September 2015. These statistics are collected biannually and published as experimental statistics. The following table shows the FTE figures of health visitors employed by Independent Healthcare Providers in England who provide valid data, as at 30 September each year since 2015 and the latest data available:<\/p>
|