if health visitors re universally hated, and thought to be useless, then why have them?

[stitch]

????? so many people dislike their hv. so mny think they are useless and ignore their advice. then what is the point of having htem? surely the money could be spent elsewhere?

VioletBaudelaire - Do we by chance go to the same surgery in Oxfordshite?

I think part of the problem actually is that mums are sort of naturally suspicious of strangers who want to touch their babies and also of those who would tell them what to do. Personally I can read something in a book, agree or disagree but not get emotionally involved in it, OR someone can tell me something and it doesn't matter if I agree or not, I'll still resent them for telling me. But then I'm an arrogant twot!

Stitch, are you an HV? Do you get any protected time for continuing professional development? Just interested... I edited the report of some awards recently and an HV was shortlisted because she'd set up a monthly lunchtime seminar for HVs to discuss research - in their own time. Was apparently an amazing break through because these HVs had never had any organised training since taking up their posts.

Here in Spain there are no HVs, not only that but you dont meet your MW until you turn up at the hospital in labour and afterwards you never see her again. If I hadnt taken my DDs to the local health centre for their check-ups i dont think anyone would even have noticed or bothered to find out what had happened to us...I feel a mixture of envy and annoyance every time someone mentions their HV on here...

no edam, but i do volunteer work for a charity that helps families with young children. and my hv have always been fabulouse, and essentil for us. i jusst dont like hearing them slated so much. especilly when most of them work under difficult conditions. lack of ffunding, lack of respect etc etc.
the government may only want to work with problem families, but hv work preventitivly i think. stoping the formtion of problems iyswim.

2 of the 4 Hv at my oractice are fantasti, lovely people great for a chat etc the other 2 are useless.
The problem I have is that the very little advice I have asked them for they have never been able to offer anything constructive.
None of the health visitors I have come across are particularly up to date on breastfeeding advice either, they are older and most of their breast feeding knowledge has not been updated in many years which is unfortunately a fault with many these days.

They are not baby specific they deal with a lot of community nursing and although nice people are not always they fountain of all knowledge that they are often held up to be and it is worrying as a pretty confident person that there are others out there with maybe less faith in their own instincts and abilities put so much faith in what is often out of date or just plain wrong advice.

I had on HV who the second ds turned 4 months started banging on about weaning, oh he hasn't gained as much weight this time, not weaning now and getting the chewing action may delay his speech. All total rot and I knew enough to say no way no chance to her especially as ds already had digestive problems but someone else may have taken all her rubbish on board and made a bad situation worse.

I have had a couple of brilliant HVs (and a dreadful one) - I think when they are good at their jobs they are an invaluable part of the NHS and fill a real gap that is not covered by GPs.

hi to all, first time i've read message board and posted message. great to know this is here. haven't been very impressed with my hv's but nursery nurse very good.

My first health visitor was quite literally a life saver. I don;t know what I would have done without her.

my hv = fantastic, don't know what I would have done without her.

I have seen 3 HVs - 1 was okay, 1 was fab, 1 was a fruitloop.

I could save the NHS a lot of money by issuing every mother with a set of weighing scales and a set of dice to answer more or less any question asked by a mother to HV.

Roll a 1 = give formula
Roll a 2 = wean
Roll a 3 = controlled crying
Roll a 4 = I don't know, ask your GP
Roll a 5 = referral to social services

Do you think I should give Patricia Hewitt a ring?

9nut

I've dealt with about 9 HVs in DS 3 years (they have lots of recruitment problems for our caseload). I was only happy with one of these - she was constructive, offered useful local information but in an empowering rather than a prescriptive way. The others have ranged from smug to chocolate teapot via authoritarian and judgmental. I think I have been unlucky though, I know some people, especially those with PND have had brilliant HVs.

Love my HV. Helpful, listens well, isn't prescriptive and makes me laugh (in a good way). Not that we haven't disagreed on occasion...

Her side kick, however, is uptight and thinks she needs to know things when she doesn't. I guess HVs are like any other people - some good at their jobs, some likeable, some less so.