Campaigners to protest against plans to slash Humber health visitors by 25 per cent

30 Jan 2017 11:31 AM

Health campaigners and concerned families will be joining members of Unite, the union, on Wednesday (1 February) to protest over Humber NHS Foundation Trust’s plans to slash health visitors and school nurses by 25 per cent.

The protestors, fearful of the damaging impact that the reduction in specialist help will have on babies and children, will be urging board members of Humber Foundation Trust to rethink their plans when they meet at the trust’s headquarters at 09:30.

The protestors will be outside the headquarters of the Humber NHS Foundation Trust, Willaby Hill, Beverly Road, Willaby, HU10 6ED from 08:45 over the plans aimed at cutting £500,000 from the specialist public health nursing budget.

Under the plans which are currently being consulted on, the number of full time equivalent health visitors will fall from 51.3 to 38.64, while school nurses will be cut by three per cent to just over six full time equivalent roles.

Unite regional officer Malcolm Hancock said: “Over the course of a year health visitors and school nurses working for Humber NHS Foundation Trust help thousands of families throughout the area.

“Because of the trust’s deep cuts this support and specialist help for families in greater need will be reduced alongside support for issues like domestic violence and safeguarding.

“It’s a totally self-defeating move which will harm children’s health and end up costing the trust more in the long run because of a reduction in preventative health measures.

“Coming at time when child health in the UK is falling behind many other European countries, we would urge the trust to think again and ditch its plans to slash this vital service.”

A report by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health published last week found that young people in the UK had low wellbeing compared with other comparable countries.

The State of Child Health also found that poverty left children from deprived backgrounds with far worse health and wellbeing than children growing up in affluent families. In 2015-16 40 per cent of children in England’s most deprived areas were overweight or obese, compared with 27 per cent in the most affluent areas.

For further information please contact Unite senior communications officer Shaun Noble on 020 3371 2060 or 07768 693940.