"Health visiting"

In December I contacted the health visiting number as I knew my daughter was due for her 1 year review.  I called many many times and it took a few days until I was actually able to speak to someone.  I think they couldn’t have cared less about my enquiry.  I told them that as I was disabled I can’t get to the Blenheim children’s centre and requested a home visit (as I had previously had with my first child who is now 2 years old...I have a 1 and a 2 year old).  I was told this was not possible and since I had already mentioned that I thought my 1 year olds development was normal it didn’t matter.

Two weeks later I received a letter and questionnaire for the 1 year review and was told to call to arrange an appointment.  Again, no one ever answers the phone so it took a long, long time to finally be able to talk to someone.  I explained what had happened in December and told the person I spoke to that I found this whole situation very confusing.  This time I was told that I could receive a visit; this contradictory information was confusing and made me feel angry.

I was told a message would be passed onto my health visitor and I could expect a call back the following week (as they only work part-time).

The next week I did not receive a call back.  I called again over and over again on Tuesday and finally got through to them on Tuesday afternoon. They said they were very busy and would see if the nursery nurses could arrange a visit this week, and if not, I would have to call back the following week.  During that week I got a missed call and a left message from one of the nursery nurses, the answering machine message I received was not clearly spoken, was quiet and was rushed.  After listing to it three times I was finally able to work out that I think they were asking me to call back on the useless number.  I was not surprised to call this number and receive no response.

Today I am calling again to try and get through, and again, no response, no call backs...I feel like no one cares.

This experience has left me feeling like no one care about my daughter, her health and well-being or her progress.  I am disappointed and angry. I feel like you don’t care about disabled parents.  I don’t understand why your health centre is in the middle of nowhere where the only people who can get to it are able bodied car owners.  I have two small children, I have Crohn’s disease which is currently active and I don’t drive.  Your service is quite simply inaccessible for the disabled.  It is difficult to access for the able bodied who have children!

I would like to add that this experience has confirmed in my mind that health visitors are only there to check on you and report you to social services, not to help you.  With my first baby I got regular home visits, phone calls, help and assistance/advice when needed over the phone.  For my second child, after her first early days at home I have had nothing.  It’s clear that since you have already put me on file as a “competent parent” and not a concern for social services you don’t care about my second child.

1) why does your phone system ring 4 times and then send the caller back to the main menu?  What if this was an emergency situation and a new/uncertain parent needed help?

2) why are your phone lines not fully manned during office hours?  At my workplace our admin staff have to have staggered lunches and one person always is absent from meetings so that the absentee can be manning the phones.  

3) why is this completely useless phone system the only method by which service users can contact you?

4) what is your policy on home visits and assistance for disabled service users?

5) can you please eplain the discrepancy in the service I received from my first child and my second child, when they were born only one year apart?  Surely the service can’t have changed that much in one year?