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Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

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Original poster

Health Visitor

12 replies

AchillesInHeels · 04/02/2023 20:01

I don't know what's normal to expect from my health visitor, my son is just over 14 months and I haven't seen or heard from her since around his 8 month review, which is fine, I'm not particularly fussed about seeing her, but a friend recently said to expect to hear around now for another review. I text HV in August to ask for some advice about a health issue and she didn't respond, which is annoying but I understand that they are stretched - I ended up going to the GP. I am not anxious about seeing her again just curious if I should expect to hear from her at some point and what other people's recent experiences have been. I'm in Scotland if that makes any difference.

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Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
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Sucessinthenewyear · 04/02/2023 20:03

Do you not have HV drop in/weigh in sessions in your area.

Reugny · 04/02/2023 20:05

Sucessinthenewyear · 04/02/2023 20:03

Do you not have HV drop in/weigh in sessions in your area.

Mine where only for babies under 12 months and bloody useless.

Mummykittykat · 04/02/2023 20:06

We saw the health visitor very little after 6 months. I think there is maybe an 24 month review and then again just before school?

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jacult · 04/02/2023 20:07

I haven’t seen mine since about 3m and child is nearly 2y now! I’m not sure what the benefit would be as the appointments are usually during the day and I’m at work and my child is at nursery. If ill or I have questions I just make an appointment with the doctor or look online for advice.

kitcat15 · 04/02/2023 20:08

10 to 14 day
6 to 8 weeks
8 to 12 months
2 yrs to 2 yrs 6 months
thats it 4 visits…..the Healthy Child Programme

Margo34 · 04/02/2023 20:10

My DC1 is now 2.5yo and we haven't seen the HV since little one was around 8w. Utterly useless. Tried contacting them so many times, even the nurse doing vaccinations tried to contact her on my behalf from the GP surgery but nope, not a word heard. Utterly useless.
Based in England.

Boneweary · 04/02/2023 20:11

Are drop in sessions running again now?

RoamSeeker · 04/02/2023 20:15

You should have a one year review I think. They are actually really good in Scotland, I saw mine 8 times before my baby was one (mostly before 6months)
Now I’m in England and told with my new baby I will see the health visitor at 2 weeks, 1 year & 2 years - so 3 times in 2 years!!

FlounderingFruitcake · 04/02/2023 20:17

I had one phone call when DC was 6 weeks, told all weigh clinics closed and she spoke about how terribly busy she was for 20 minutes. Then next thing was when I got a call from the HV admin assistant to offer a 12 month review with a nursery nurse which I declined as DC was seeing a paediatrician and got regular check ups because they were part of a research study. Never heard from them again. Thought they’d be a 2YO review which I probably would have done as DC was released from the study at 15 months but apparently not.

Original poster
AchillesInHeels · 04/02/2023 20:24

Ah ok it seems like maybe I've been lucky with the amount of visits I've had then! I think I've seen her about three times, the second of which was the time before his 8 month review when she, like a PP indicated happened with her too, spoke at length about how busy and stressed they all are. She told me she had to lie to her supervisor to get a face to face with me and say that I was struggling with breastfeeding, which was not true.

I get it, they are probably extremely undervalued and overworked, I'm not here to bash them. I've reset my expectations and won't be surprised if I don't hear from her again until a potential 2yr review.

No walk in clinics here AFAIK.

OP posts:
kitcat15 · 04/02/2023 21:04

AchillesInHeels · 04/02/2023 20:24

Ah ok it seems like maybe I've been lucky with the amount of visits I've had then! I think I've seen her about three times, the second of which was the time before his 8 month review when she, like a PP indicated happened with her too, spoke at length about how busy and stressed they all are. She told me she had to lie to her supervisor to get a face to face with me and say that I was struggling with breastfeeding, which was not true.

I get it, they are probably extremely undervalued and overworked, I'm not here to bash them. I've reset my expectations and won't be surprised if I don't hear from her again until a potential 2yr review.

No walk in clinics here AFAIK.

You very likely won't see her again...it will be the nursery nurse that does the 2 year review...health visitors don't have time for 2 year reviews

Reugny · 04/02/2023 21:28

Margo34 · 04/02/2023 20:10

My DC1 is now 2.5yo and we haven't seen the HV since little one was around 8w. Utterly useless. Tried contacting them so many times, even the nurse doing vaccinations tried to contact her on my behalf from the GP surgery but nope, not a word heard. Utterly useless.
Based in England.

My HV team is run by some not for profit company.

So every time my DD is due vaccinations we get:

  • GP surgery sending us a text message
  • letter from HV team

Sounds fair enough right?

Unfortunately the GP surgery don't seem to talk to the HV team so after DD has had her vaccinations we get months of letters from HV team demanding we get her vaccinated and to up date them if she has had it.

Oh and they have no email address so you have to phone them and there is no-one there to answer the phone, so I stopped bother trying to contact them.

The letters then stop between 7-9 months later....

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