Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

Flip

1 2 3

Original poster

What don't you like about your Health Visitor?

58 replies

piggyinthemiddle · 06/12/2004 09:36

I have to admit that I've changed by name for this one. I've noticed that a lot of MNs don't like their HV or find her unhelpful and it seems to me that there may be a problem with HVs and/or the way the service is provided. As a MN and a HV I have been very disappointed but interested in this. It would be very helpful to me if you would share some of your experiences of the HV service and also say what you would have liked from your HV (please don't mention your HV by name for this).

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

MariNativityPlay · 10/12/2004 12:14

Just to add, our HVs with ds were excellent (like Frogs' one, a bit eccentric in one case!) but really caring and supportive.
When we moved, I did find the transition hard - no more dedicated space in a lovely large GP practice, very-overworked team, etc. Biggest gripe currently is that all developmental checks are carried out at the practice's head office, which is miles from anywhere (really) and inaccessible by public transport.
And have never liked the "just turn up and wait" attitude for baby clinics. Dd was barely weighed because on three occasions I waited for an hour and a half (in a general purpose, cramped waiting room with no toys, nowhere clean to put a crawler on the floor and NO BABY CHANGE FACILITIES) and had to walk out to get ds from school.
I think my HVs should have been much more assertive in getting the GP practice to do something about this state of affairs. It cannot have been ideal for them either.
They came into their own when ds2 was stillborn in Summer 2002. They called several times to see how we and ds were faring and were very kind.

littleweed · 10/12/2004 12:22

mine is gem and thinks everything I do is fantastic. am sure if i said DD was having kebabs 3 times a day she would say it was marvellous. actually she is a realsweetheart and very good at making you feel better about everyhting when you are having a crap mother day.

bluemoon · 10/12/2004 12:38

Where to begin ...

I haven't read everyone else's responses and I dare say I'll repeat a lot of things. But one thing I wanted to say straight out PIM is that you are NOTHING like my HV because mine wouldn't even know something like Mumsnet existed and if she did she'd tell me to stop looking at it and 'just get on with it'!! To qualify, my HV's are working in a very deprived area of SE London. Not sure this gives them an excuse for the shoddy treatment I've received but who knows. It certainly means I don't get the cream of the HV crop. No-one wants to work where I live!!

Extremely patronising attitude that made me feel like an absurd middle class neurotic. Even if I am one I would hope someone would not see the point of rubbing my nose in it.

The most ridiculous method of searching for possible PND.

Very little concern about my child even on two occasions when it turned out she was very ill and ended up being hospitalised.

No practical advice that I have EVER taken up. In fact a lot of it has gone against what I know to be the best things to do.

Oh shit, I could go on and on and on but basically it seems to me that the only things they're concerned about are jabs and weight scales. I would frequently tell them info about latest research etc. that they had no idea about. And no interest in.

Dire.

bluemoon · 10/12/2004 12:40

Here's a classic HV moment from my practice:

Young woman with little Ds comes in and says the GP has said to up the protein in his diet. So she asks the HV what food has protein in it. HV turns to colleage and says 'hmmm ... protein ... potatoes?'

AGH!!!!!!!!

Amanda3266 · 10/12/2004 12:55

Oh bluemoon...potatos...that's dreadful
Embarrassed to my HV core.

Relate very much to clinics being in stupid places at times. We have to run ours in a local, modern church hall. Lots of toys and very little wait to see HV. However, it's right in the centre of town, well away from parking areas and the Mums have to get prams/pushchairs etc up three steps. GRRRRR!!! Makes me mad.

Have complained lots to our Primary Care trust and even suggested other venues to no avail.

Love my job and hope I'm more approachable than some of the other HVs you've described. Get on really well with the Mums I see.

Mandy

gscrym · 10/12/2004 13:01

I think my HV is a lovely woman. Her partner is great as well. I think I'm the exception to the rule. However, I did see another HV when I took DS to get weighed about 6 months ago. She had me leave the clinic in tears by the way she treated me. I wasn't one of her mums so the horns just leapt out of my head. She was judgemental and just plain nasty to me and to my HV when she phoned her. I've complained about her behaviour.

smellymelly · 10/12/2004 13:46

Actually I like all my health visitors!

TwasTheNightBeforeXmasOwl · 11/12/2004 01:46

havent read this thread but i found both my hv to be lovely. with ds and dd. with ds i voiced my concerns about being a younger mum and how i had been treated by midwives and she really did give me a lot of support and positive stories about younger mums, the one i have now listened to me sob for about an hour when i had dd and went out of her way to help me and give me advice. i cant fault either of them.

Flip

1 2 3