Cuts to public health

[buggie]

Saw this & thought should share:

http://www.communitypractitioner.com/news/guys-and-st-thomas-reduces-number-of-posts-of-health-visitors-and-school-nurses

Wiith the ongoing battles with junior doctors & SAT's/threatened academisation of schools, this might not seem such a big thing, but this comes within a year of a 5yr project to increase HV numbers by 5000, and at a time when the importance of early intervention/perinatal and infant mental health have huge evidence bases (http://www.1001criticaldays.co.uk if interested).

While its LA's that are shouldering the decision making, pretty certain it's the cuts to the public health budgets from central government that force their hand.

[uncleglen]

The tax payers' pocket is not a bottomless pit

[buggie]

Yes, which is why the savings made to future health/social care budgets via early intervention

is so important, also, given the investment of tax payers money into building HV numbers, it seems daft to be cutting back before the benefits pay off (might as well put money in a bond and then loose a load of it paying early payout fees), when a bit of patience would pay huge dividends.