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Parenting

For free parenting resources please check out the Early Years Alliance's Family Corner.

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Original poster

Refusing health visitor?

31 replies

Kmward36 · 23/04/2024 11:27

is it possible to opt out of the health visitor service?

I live in a small village with 1 health visitor attached to our GP practice. I had her with my first 2 children and I didn’t find her helpful at all.

she refused to acknowledge my post partum depression ( in the end I was admitted). She doesn’t weigh baby. She won’t discuss breastfeeding or weaning as it’s not ‘her thing’ and I just don’t see the point!

i don’t want to trigger some sort of social issue though. We have nothing else going on from social services etc and I’m more than happy to weigh baby in drop in services.

has anyone done this?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Soigneur · 29/04/2024 16:10

doglover12345 · 29/04/2024 15:17

Hello, do you have the exact legislation reference that shows that the health visiting service is optional? We would like to opt out and know you can but I would also like to have the legislation document showing this

That's not how legislation works. If it was mandated there would be legislation saying it is. That legislation doesn't exist, so it is optional by default.

doglover12345 · 29/04/2024 16:26

@Soigneur got it 👍

Disasterclass · 29/04/2024 17:36

In the part of London where I am you are lucky to see a health visitor at all beyond the new born visit and the two and a half year check. You have to really push for it if you want to see someone. I know from work that essentially resources are (understandably) focused on children with social services intervention, and otherwise you're considered under 'universal' rather than 'named health visitor' services. In fact when I was referred for support with pnd it took about 6 months for them to call me and even then were trying to get off the phone as soon as possible.

There is a weighing clinic, but loads of people I know never bothered going.

So no, definitely not a problem to opt out (unless you have children's services intervention)

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

Antenatal & postnatal Families General health

Spudthespanner · 29/04/2024 17:41

RuthW · 23/04/2024 12:08

Yes you can. You can also request a different hv. You may get a referral to ss if you refuse although.

Why are you saying this?

Original poster

Kmward36 · 13/05/2024 20:09

Thank everyone

just as an update I text my hv to opt out of the service (with a long message explaining why) and they were lovely about it. She did ring me to check all was ok and asked if I had had a bad service. I went through a few things but she said it was completely up to me. She advised me to keep her number abs ring if I change my mind!

really glad I did it and they were very nice about it

OP posts:

LBFseBrom · 14/05/2024 13:23

That is a good result. Nobody has to see a health visitor.

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