Health Visiting teams in Tower Hamlets will be attached to GP practices from this August in a move which promises to offer better care for young children, parents and carers.
It means that each child aged 0-5 who is registered at a GP practice and living within that area will have a named Health Visitor, helping to build trust and providing consistent support. This is a change from the current system where Health Visitors are allocated families in a wider range of locations across the borough.
Health Visiting teams deliver six appointments for mothers and babies from before birth through to two-and-a-half-years-old and additional contacts for those families and children receiving a targeted or specialist intervention. This change means they will work closely with GPs and other local partners, making care planning more joined-up and effective for all families.
Staff will work in close partnership with Family Hubs, Early Years services and other community teams to deliver place-based, joined-up care. Service users will see familiar staff there, helping build stronger relationships and deeper engagement.
Hamida Serdiwala-White, Head of 0-5 Services in Tower Hamlets for the Care Group, said: “We are delighted to move to this new way of working, which we believe will be better for patients and staff alike.
“By working much more closely with GPs, there will be more continuity of care for mothers and their babies, with a familiar team in their local neighbourhood. Our service is all about giving children the best start in life, with better health outcomes, and this change should help us do just that.”
