Published: 20 January 2009
Too Few Health Visitors
There are too few health visitors to implement the findings of new research saying that the profession could help new mothers suffering from postnatal depression.
Unite, the largest union in the country, which embraces the Community Practitioners’ and Health Visitors’ Association (CPHVA), was commenting on University of Sheffield research which said that new mothers developing postnatal depression would be helped if health visitors are trained to spot signs and offer psychological help.
Dr Cheryll Adams, Unite Lead Professional Officer, Strategy & Practice Development, said that a recent Unite/CPHVA survey revealed that of the 829 health visitors interviewed, a third reported that they were not confident that their NHS trust’s service allowed cases of postnatal depression to picked up.
She said:
“Recent cuts in health visitor workforces have led to the closure of many postnatal depression services delivered by health visitors.
If mothers are found to have postnatal depression, most prefer health visitor counselling interventions over drugs. However, there are too few health visitors available to perform this important service for new mothers.
This research provides clear evidence for reinstating a properly resourced and trained health visiting workforce to address this debilitating illness.
Untreated postnatal depression can have severe implications, not only for the mother but for her whole family”.
University of Sheffield researchers looked at 4,000 women. At the six or eight-week check, 600 women - 15% - were found to have signs of postnatal depression. This equates to some 100,000 women a year suffering from postnatal depression across the UK.
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