North East Herts MP Oliver Heald has discovered that there are 58 less health visitors in Hertfordshire than there were four years ago.
Parliamentary questioning by Oliver Heald has revealed that the number of health visitors working in NHS Trusts and PCTs across Hertfordshire is down from 284 in 2005 to 226 this year. This is the lowest number of health visitors working in the county since 2001.
There are 17 less health visitors available to people in North East Hertfordshire than there were in 2006.
Oliver commented, “These figures are shocking. Health visitors are a much needed source of support and information for new parents when they need it most. When my first child was born our health visitor was an absolute godsend and it worries me to think that other parents in Hertfordshire won’t get this kind of support.”
“This gradual decline is alarming, I shall be pushing the Department of Health very hard for an explanation in the New Year.”
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Contact: Martin Jee, Parliamentary Assistant to Oliver Heald MP, 020 7219 4478
Notes to Editors:
Parliamentary Questions:
2006 – 2008 figures: http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200809/cmhansrd/cm091110/text/91110w0018.htm#09111070001303
2001 – 2005 figures: http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200607/cmhansrd/cm070712/text/70712w0016.htm#07071278000158
Health Visitors
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
E&N Herts PCT
122
103
107
E&N Herts NHS Trust
9
9
7
West Herts
PCT
108
125
112
West Herts
NHS Trust
0
0
0
Total
228
259
249
252
284
239
237
226