Health Visitors
Health visitors are specialist community public health nurses, (SCPHN) registered midwives or nurses. They specialise in working with families with a child aged 0 to five to identify health needs as early as possible and improve health and wellbeing by promoting health, preventing ill health and reducing inequalities. The Universal Health Visiting Pathway presents a core home visiting programme to be offered to all families by Health Visitors. Health Visitors will be required to be available and responsive to parents to promote support and safeguard the wellbeing of children by providing information, advice and help to access other services.
The Pathway is based on several underlying principles. These are:
• Promoting, supporting and safeguarding the wellbeing of children
• Person-centeredness
• Building strong relationships from pregnancy
• Offering support during the early weeks and planning future contacts with families
• Focusing on family strengths, while assessing and respectfully responding to their needs.
The programme consists of 11 home visits to all families – 8 within the first year of life and 3 Child Health Reviews between 13 months and 4-5 years.
You will receive a letter from your HV around week 34 of pregnancy and first HV home visit is arranged once you are discharged from the community midwives. The Health Visitors work with Drs. Wilson and Doyle at Baby and Development Screening Clinics.
Your health visitor can be contacted on 0131 603 0240, Monday to Friday, and you can leave a message if they are not in the office.
Child Immunisations
Immunisations are given by Healthcare professionals in accordance with the NHS vaccine schedule.
Further information on the schedule and vaccines in general can be found on NHS Inform.
When to immunise
Different vaccines are given at different ages to protect you and your child. Find out when these vaccinations are offered, and when and where they’ll be given:
Hearing tests for children
Routine hearing tests are offered to newborn babies and children to identify any problems early on in their development.
Although serious hearing problems during childhood are rare, early testing ensures that any problems are picked up and managed as early as possible.