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Disappointed with Health Visiting service

Posted By New Moray Mum

"Disappointed with Health Visiting service"

About: Community Services in Grampian

(as a service user),

Since my daughter was born in  2020 the care from the health visiting team has been disappointing. 

We got seen at 10 days and 6 weeks but after that it has just been phonecalls. Initially we were allowed to use the scales to check her weight but after some time this stopped due to covid. However covid had been ongoing before we were even under the care of the health visitors. 

She got her 8 month check at 9 months old. 

We then got her 13-15 month check at 13 months but we had to go to the health visitor department rather than them coming to our home.

Recently I have tried to phone the health visiting team to discuss something I am worried about with my daughter to get a voice message that says due to sickness and annual leave no one will be in the office until Tuesday of next week (I phoned Monday the week prior). It continued to say to leave a message and someone will get back to you on their return. I am extremely frustrated you can't speak to anyone for over a week. There is no alternative number given. And I imagine they will have a lot of messages on their return so won't necessarily get back to mums on that day. 

I find the lack of health visiting support very disappointing and feel there needs to be a major improvement in the service. Covid has stopped a lot of services but there is still new mums/worried mums/mums with a question who can't speak to anyone or see anyone. Reassurance from a health visitor would be so beneficial but it's just not there. How can they build up a rapport with families over the phone.. 

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Responses

Response from Kirsten Dickson, Quality Improvement and Assurance Facilitator, Quality Improvement and Assurance Team, NHS Grampian 3 years ago
Kirsten Dickson
Quality Improvement and Assurance Facilitator, Quality Improvement and Assurance Team,
NHS Grampian

Submitted on 15/11/2021 at 13:35
Published on Care Opinion at 13:35

picture of Kirsten Dickson

Hi New Moray Mum,

Please see the below response Elaine Schiavone - Clinical Nurse Manager for the Health Visiting Service in Moray.

'Dear New Moray Mum,

Thank you for sharing your story with us. I am the Clinical Nurse Manager for this service and am as disappointed as you are to hear about the problems you have been having trying to reach out to us since your daughter was born in 2020.

Covid has changed many aspects of how we deliver care with national guidance from the Scottish Government restricting the number of face-to-face home visits during the varying levels of lockdown. The health visiting service had to adapt rapidly to these changes and provide some of these contacts by telephone or virtual platforms. We know that this, in some cases, may have impacted on the service's ability to fully assess the impact on our families. Staff had to reduce visits in all but the most urgent cases to minimise the risk of Covid transmission, protecting the children & families who we support and the health visiting workforce. We have also had an increased absence rate due to staff or their families testing positive for covid and the impact of the increase in workload for the staff still at work.

We acknowledge that families have experienced varying levels of stress and challenge especially those whose babies were born in 2020 and we are sincerely sorry that you have not been able to access the support you need. Building trusting relationships is fundamental to health visiting practice and our learning during this unprecedented time will inform how we better meet the needs of families in the future. As Covid and other unplanned situations continue to challenge the health visiting service, a plan of action has been put in place to help ensure the service can be delivered safely and effectively and help people stay connected and improve communication.

If you would be happy to contact me by email elaine.schiavone@nhs.scot or telephone 07814 769826, with your details I can call you back and see how we can best help you going forward.

Take care

Elaine'

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