Loosing my lovley health visitor

[annaloo9]

Hi just to inform all mums and dads who belong to the Elm Lodge Surgery in Burbage Road, that the powers that be will be getting rid of our lovley Health Visitor in less than 2 weeks.

I went to baby clinic yesterday (Tuesday 18.12.12), and she gave me a hug to say goodbye, she told me that they are moving her and replacing her with a new health visitor. Now don't get me wrong, but it has taken us a while to get a stable person at Elm Lodge -someone who actually cares what happens to us and our babies. She is always there, available to help and talk you through the most simplest of crisis.

She has been there since May/June this year and already her clinics are proving very popular with us mums not minding the wait so long as we get into the room to be supported by her. What is management thinking of? don't they realise that we are not going to stand for this messing about with our services?

I want to offer her our support and ask that they keep her as they dont know her true value -

We need to write in to Southwark PCT management - not sure who to write to though - any ideas?

We need to put a stop to this as we may well end up with a person who simply doesnt understand us and our darling babies

[shinac]

ohhhh! I am also a parent at Elm Lodge and just heard the news too. Have to say me and hubby were really dissappointed when we heard yesterday at clinic. I did meet the new lady, she seemed alright, just have to wait and see...

[Fuschia]

I don't like to be cynical, but does this thread have anything to do with annaloo's previous posts about this website

http://privatehealthvisitor.com/health_visitor_search.php?city=Southwark&country=Greater%20London

Where, on the face of it, it would seem that you yourself, shinac, actually seem to be a health visitor yourself?

[redjam]

I would hazard a guess and say Shinac and Annaloo9 are one and the same...

[shinac]

Actually we are not the same person, but we clearly have the same health visitor and are in the same boat. I thought this was a forum for discussing our views, not a forum for bullying.

[Fuschia]

I just like people to be honest, and seem to have a nose for odd posts like these ones.

[Otta]

" What is management

thinking of? don't they realise that we are

not going to stand for this messing about

with our services?"

Half the NHS is being messed with, do you really think they care what you think?

[intexasatthe moment]

Maybe it's standard practice to move staff around ,rotate them through different geographical areas ?

My very elderly housebound mother is seen by members of a DNT to dress ulcers on her leg .

It's ( apparently ) not possible to be visited by the same member of staff ( even the same 2 or 3 members of staff ) from week to week .

Or to be given any more detail of the timing of the visits other than which day/s they are coming - I guess the thinking is that if you're housebound it doesn't matter .

And in the summer we were told that the staff ( might only have been the health care assistants ) were being rotated to different areas .

So any hint of continuity of care - which believe me is important if you're dealing with long standing wounds - is out the window .

[redjam]

Not bullying, Shinac, just pointing out that in your original post (before you edited it right down) you had exactly the same misspellings and grammatical constructions/writing style as Annaloo9. Perhaps it was just a coincidence. That aside, obviously it's a shame if a good health visitor has left and yes it sounds like you should complain, though whether or not it'd have any effect is a moot point...

[Otta]

What is there to complain about? They are replacing her are they not? In which case, they are still providing a service. Whether you particularly liked one HV is a mute point.

"We need to put a stop to this as we may well end up with a person who simply doesnt understand us and our darling babies"

Not only is this vomit inducing, but it's a nonsense. I know some HVs are better than others (most of the ones I've met were useless), but they do however need to be qualified, so as long as the new person has an appropriate qualification, they are doing nothing at all wrong.

Would you complain to the education department if your child's favourite teacher moved on? No, because that is what happens in life.

[Chillaxed]

Bit harsh Otta. The essence of the OP's post is that they like the current HV and want to support her. I agree that there's no question here of removing the service, and some of the phrasing is hyperbole, but wanting to hang on to a good HV (or a favourite teacher) seems reasonable.

[Otta]

It seems absolutely reasonable to WANT it, but talking as if there is actual ground for complaint is a nonsense.

[simonethebeaver]

I agree that there are no grounds for an official complaint, but Health Visitors vary so wildly that I can imagine losing a good one feels like a real blow. My HV gave me utterly wrong advice about some things, was offensive to the point that I complained to PALS about her, cocked up an urgent referral and failed to provide any support. Her replacement was a massive improvement. I've recently heard that the replacement is off and the original will be back in harness just in time for my second baby to appear. Not happy!

Darling babies is pretty sickening talk though.

[intexasatthe moment]

I do think that a lot of the trouble is that actual trained Health Visitors and District Nurses are thin on the ground and the teams mainly consist of Health Care Assistants .

Some Health Care Assistants are experienced and fantastic at what they do .

But IME many are not and do not know when or what needs refering for another persons input .

[Otta]

Spot on.

[simonethebeaver]

Nope. My Health Visitor is a full, trained Health Visitor, and still not good.

[intexasatthe moment]

Well of course even qualified Health Visitors can be cr*p.

And some Health Care Assistanys can be great .

But doesn't change my basic belief that there is too much reliance on less costly .less trained ,and not adequately supervised Health Care Assistants .