← April 20, 2026 briefingHealth
England health visitor numbers halved in a decade
Health visitors in England are calling for urgent caps on caseloads after BBC analysis revealed the workforce has nearly halved over the last ten years, leaving some practitioners responsible for up to 1,000 families each. The collapse in capacity threatens early detection of child abuse, postnatal depression, and developmental problems — all areas where health visitors serve as the primary safety net. The Royal College of Nursing describes the caseloads as "impossible."
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