The ‘final wake-up call’ as new figures show a health
visitor job is ‘lost every 30 hours’
30 March 2009
The health visiting crisis can still be measured in hours,
according to Unite, the largest union in the country.
The latest NHS workforce statistics, based on September 2008
figures, reveal that a full-time health visitor job is being lost
every 30 hours – a slight improvement on the previous year’s figure
which showed that every 27 hours a health visitor post
disappeared.
Unite, which embraces the Community Practitioners’ and Health
Visitors’ Association, said this was ‘the final wake-up call’ for
government to recruit a new generation of health visitors to
replace the ageing workforce - as 20% are over 55 and could retire
tomorrow.
The latest announcement comes against the backdrop of the latest
review by Lord Laming into child protection policies in the wake of
the ‘Baby P’ case.
The Department of Health is staging a health visitor ‘summit’ in
May and Unite said it was a priority that firm plans for
recruitment and restoration of training budgets were laid at that
meeting.
Unite National Officer for Health, Karen Reay said: ‘This is the
final wake-up call for government to tackle the health visiting
crisis. The rate that health visitor jobs are disappearing has
slowed slightly – but the trend is still downwards.’
‘In the light of the recent Lord Laming review, the public is
demanding a coherent child protection strategy where health
visitors play a central role in conjunction with other
agencies.’
The NHS workforce statistics show the loss of 292 full-time jobs
and that 20% of the headcount is aged over 55 and 40% is
50-plus.
The ‘generation gap’ starkly emerging was demonstrated by the
figure showing that only 17% of health visitors were aged under
40.
The government’s recently promised to ‘substantially increase’
health visitor numbers when the Lord Laming review was announced.
Unite has repeatedly called for the employment of 4,000 more health
visitors, but realises that this figure may be a mid-to-longer term
goal, because of the time required to train new recruits.
-ends-
NOTES TO NEWS EDITORS:
There were 8,764 full-time health visitor posts, compared to
9,056 in September 2007. Headcount figures are 11,190 (2008),
compared with 11,569 in 2007. That is a loss of a further 292
full-time posts, or 379 health visitors. (Many health visitors work
part-time.)
292 full-time jobs lost gives a loss of 5.62 a week based on 52
weeks a year and one lost every 30 hours.
For further information, please ring: Karen Reay, National Officer,
Health 07798 531 004; Cheryll Adams, Lead Professional Officer,
Strategy & Practice Development 07712 678 281; Obi Amadi,
Lead Professional Officer, Policy & External Affairs 07780 955
936; Shaun Noble, Communications Officer (Health Sector) 020 7420
8951 or 07768 693 940
Unite Health Sector web page: www.unitetheunion.org/health
Unite/CPHVA press releases can be seen on the CPHVA website:
www.unitetheunion.org/cphva
Unite is the largest union in the UK. It has seven
professional sections: the Community Practitioners’ and
Health Visitors’ Association, the Mental Health Nurses Association,
the Guild of Healthcare Pharmacists, the Society of Sexual Health
Advisers, the Medical Practitioners’ Union, College of Healthcare
Chaplains, and the Hospital Physicists
Association.
