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Role of the Health Visitor

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Submitted By edwardevans
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The Health Visitor is a Qualified Registered Nurse, Midwife, ...with Specialist qualifications in Community Health, which includes child health, health promotion and education (http://www.healthvisitors.com , 2013).

A Health Visitors role is a varied one and is an integral part of the NHS Community Health Service (Hankins, 2013).

The main focus of their work is prevention, helping people to stay healthy and avoid illness (http://www.healthvisitors.com , 2013).

The health visitor's role involves promoting health in the whole community and are particularly involved with families who have children under five and with the elderly population .(Hankins, 2013).

The health visitor's also involes offering support, advice and encouragement to families through the early years from pregnancy and birth to primary school and beyond (http://www.healthvisitors.com , 2013).

Every family with children under five has a named health visitor.

The work closely with GP’s and cover the geographical area of the GP practice (http://www.healthvisitors.com , 2013).

The health visitor may also include tackling the impact of social inequality on health and working closely with at-risk or deprived groups (Hankins, 2013).

Issues:
Studies have shown (Marmot, 2010; Field 2010; Tickell, 2011) that happens to children before they are born and in their early years can affect their health and opportunities later in life. For example, babies that are breastfed have less chance of getting infections and childhood diabetes, or reduced weight gain in later life (obesity) (NICE, 2006). And those who grow up in a safe environment and have a healthy relationship with their parents are more likely to do better as they go through life.

Goverment Action: want to do more to help children who grow up in the most at-risk families and to help parents give their children the best

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