HOW CAS COVID-19 AFFECTED HEALTH VISITING?

[robin04031402]

Hello everyone,

My 18 y/o DD has been asked to produce a piece of work on how covid-19 has affected Health visiting for college. If any parents with young children could help her out this would be very much appreciated!

If you were due to have a home visit from your HV - has this still gone ahead? Did you have contact through a video call instead? And do you think this is more or less effective?

Is there anything your HV hasn't been able to do due to covid-19? Or been able to do more of?

Do you think you have had more or less contact due to covid-19 with your HV and why do you think this?

Most importantly, how has the coronavirus affected your access to your HV?

Any other comments?

Many thanks for your help, DD would be delighted for any responces.

Have a great day everyone :)

[FuckYouBing]

My youngest has not long had his preschool immunisations. Normally he would have had a developmental check at this appointment as well but this didn't happen. He now hasn't had a developmental check since he was about 14 months old as his 2year old one was scheduled due to underataffing in our area. She did ask a few questions and if I was concerned about anything but it obviously wasn't as in depth as normal and also no height and weight check.

[SephrinaX]

My youngest is 15 weeks old. My HV is doing appointments by phone - so far voice only. And has given me her direct mobile number if I need advice. But obviously this means I'm missing out on the height/weight development checks. And she basically just has to take my word for it that everything is okay.
Fine for me as this isn't my first DC. But I imagine it might be bit more concerning if you were a first time mum.
The immunisations are still taking place however they have moved out of doing them at our town GP to the local academy. Which isn't a problem for me as I drive and live in the area anyway. However those in the surrounding villages would now have to drive to the nearby town instead of possibly walking to their local GP surgery.

[89redballoons]

My DS is 20 weeks. He was just about following the 2nd centile for weight in the two months after he was born. Dr told me at his eight week check to get him weighed at our HV hub every couple of weeks. I only managed this once before lockdown. Our HV hubs are all shut now.

He has grown in size and looks pretty chubby to us, but we tried to weigh him recently by standing on our scales and that seemed to show he had hardly gained any weight since that weigh in at 11 weeks. We've ordered baby scales off Amazon (not cheap) to check.

Don't know what I'll do if he is seriously not gaining and I'm panicking about not having weighed him for so long now. He is EBF which I understand is healthiest during the pandemic. When should he be starting solids? A friend of mine on FB said her DS was 6 months at the start of lockdown and she had heard not to start solids "until this is over"

So I'll need to speak to a HV soon but don't know how that will work. Maybe they can do a video call? I've had no information.

[atomcats]

My daughter is five weeks old and was born just after the lockdown started.

If you were due to have a home visit from your HV - has this still gone ahead? Did you have contact through a video call instead? And do you think this is more or less effective?

We’ve not had any home visits, just contact on the phone. We’ve not had a video call. I have no basis for comparison as this is my first child, but it is essentially relying on her taking my word for it. Luckily things have been relatively smooth sailing so there hasn’t been much to discuss. My area also offer a helpline which I’ve been able to use to discuss concerns I’ve had.

Is there anything your HV hasn't been able to do due to covid-19? Or been able to do more of?

My health visitor hasn’t met my daughter or been able to check everything is as it should be. She was last officially weighed at her 10 day health check.

Do you think you have had more or less contact due to covid-19 with your HV and why do you think this?

This is my first so not sure what the usual contact would be

Most importantly, how has the coronavirus affected your access to your HV?

No face to face meetings

Any other comments?

No

Hope that helps!

[Tableclothing]

I have a 14 week old.

Since lockdown started I have not seen my HV f2f, but have had a few fairly lengthy phone calls. HV is very clear that I can/should ring her with any worries. We've arranged to check in fortnightly for now.

Home visits cancelled for obvious reasons. I don't think phone calls are quite as effective (both GP and HV have accepted my verbal description of what I believe to be DC's eczema, for example, but I'm not a dermatologist so maybe it's something else....)

Can't get the baby weighed very accurately now, but seems to be thriving so bathroom scales will have to do.

[robin04031402]

@FuckYouBing @SephrinaX @89redballoons @atomcats @Tableclothing

Thank you all SO MUCH!
DD was so happy when she found out that people had replied so quickly!
I hope you are all able to recive the support from your HV that you need and deserve.
I wish you and your beautiful babies all the health and happiness.
Thank you so much again, it has really been appreciated.

[Bimbleboo]

I have a young baby and Should have had two HV visits that were scheduled over the last few months. Obviously The HV hasn’t come out as arranged but I also didn’t actually hear from them to confirm they were cancelled or anything. I knew they would be, and I’m absolutely fine with it but I am definitely quite surprised that I haven’t had a phone call or a letter or anything at all To cancel those or to check in and see how we are managing / let me know what the HV team are available for etc.
It really made me wonder about people maybe more vulnerable than myself. There must be mums with really little babies who feel quite abandoned and not sure what services are still running / how to contact someone if they need help.
If I DID need contact with the HV team I have absolutely no idea if that is available to me and some might wonder if they’ve just been forgotten and left to get on with it I suppose.

[robin04031402]

@Bimbleboo

Thank you so much!

Sending love to you and your beautiful baby!

[robin04031402]

Thank you everyone!

DD now has all the information she needs :)

All information is kept anonymous

[cheninblanc]

The health visitors for our community trust have mostly been redeployed to district nursing.