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Care Opinion

Discontinuation of Rushcliffe Baby Weigh Clinic

Posted By NewMum2016

"Discontinuation of Rushcliffe Baby Weigh Clinic"

About: Children & younger people's services / Rushcliffe Healthy Family Team

(as the patient),

I am concerned to hear that the Local Authority has decommissioned the Baby Weigh Drop In Clinics with apparently no consultation with parents. As a first time mum I have found the weigh in clinic and informal access to the Health Visiting Team incredibly helpful. I would have very likely have stopped breast feeding at 2 months because I was worried about my son's weight dropping however the reassurance and encouragement from the HVs at the clinic meant I have continued. I have also sought advice after a bout of diarrhoea which would have otherwise sent me to the GP. The flexibility of the drop in is just what mum's need in the early days when caring for a newborn can mean appointment slots are difficult to keep. It also feels like a strange move to reduce access to health visiting when perinatal mental health is so high so high on the national agenda.

I believe this decision is a classic example of health and local authority not being joined up. It I think it is inevitable that the cessation of the clinics will lead to mum's requiring more expensive services such as GP appointments. The baby weigh drop in service is public health at its best and ending this early intervention service will no doubt lead to a greater cost to the public purse in the long run.

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Responses

Response from Jo Lewis, Head of Service Children & Young People, Rushcliffe Locality, County Health Partnerships 7 years ago
Jo Lewis
Head of Service Children & Young People, Rushcliffe Locality,
County Health Partnerships

Submitted on 19/01/2017 at 13:12
Published on Care Opinion at 13:50

Thank you for taking the time to share your concerns. I am pleased that you have found the drop in clinics incredibly helpful and your Health Visitor supportive.

The change that we are implementing is to move away from generic drop-in sessions to enable us to offer a tailored service for parents to meet their individual needs offering privacy and protected time with the Health Visitor. Other parents have fed back to us that the Child Health Clinics are often too busy and they have to wait for a long time, based on this feedback and the need to work effectively we recognised the need to change the way we deliver services to appointment only sessions. Parents will still be able to see their Health Visitor when they require advice and support by contacting the local health visiting team to book a slot. The team will continue to advise and support new parents and will weigh children at intervals appropiate to a child's health and development.

Each area also has access to the health visitor rapid response phone when you are unable to contact your health visitor (the number should be in your childs red book). This is a number to ring for minor ailments or concerns that is answered by a health visitor 8.30-5pm Monday to Friday.

We will in Rushcliffe be providing opportunities for parents to be able to weigh their child if they are interested in knowing the weight of their child outside of the intervals as agreed with your health visitor.

If you wish to discuss your concerns further please contact Jo Lewis on 0115 8837828.

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