Health Visitors

Health Visitors are qualified nurses with additional training in family and community health.  They are different to other nurses because they specialise in improving the public's health rather than focusing on illness and disease.  Their job is to improve your health and that of your family and your community.  Like all community staff, they work closely with staff at your doctor's surgery (family doctor, practice nurse, district nurse etc).  They also work closely with other agencies, for example, nurseries, social work and voluntary organisations, and will refer you on if necessary.

Health visitors can work with all age groups but the majority of the people they see are families with pre-school children and older people.  They offer help and support on lots of things, including:

• development checks for babies and toddlers
• child health clinics
• advice on immunisations
• advice and support on pregnancy, parenting, feeding (including breast feeding), sleeping, cyring and speech development
• health promotion, including for pre-school children, and child accident prevention
• helping to spot post-natal depression and providing support
• older people's health
• family nutrition
• family planning and well-woman advice.

Your health visitor can also help with:

• continence problems
• coping with disabilities
• support for carers
• depression
• support for people experiencing domestic abuse
• support when you're trying to stop smoking
• support through family stresses and bereavement.

You can contact your health visitor at your local health centre, clinic or through your doctor's surgery.

List of health visitors in your area (at October 2007).

Back to Who's who in Health

Contact us at communitycare@eastlothian.gov.uk