ONLY 73 per cent of newborn babies in the South West received a health visit within the recommended 14 first days last year. 

This is according to a new NSPCC analysis of data from the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID). 

This is also a drop of seven per cent from the 80 per cent that received a visit within the first 14 days of the previous year. 

This decrease in early health visits takes place at a time when cases of neglect in children under one are rising, increasing by seven per cent in the last year.

Alongside this, the Institute of Health Visiting recently highlighted that 60 per cent of health visitors are reporting further increases in child safeguarding concerns over the last year.

The Healthy Child Programme guidance outlines that a new baby review should take place within 14 days, face-to-face with a health professional.

These reviews help health visitors identify early safeguarding concerns such as neglect, ensure that the infant is growing up in a healthy and safe environment, and provide crucial support to new parents.

However, research suggests that there is a national shortage of at least 5,000 health visitors in England with figures continuing to rise.

A 2023 report from the Institute of Health Visiting found that last year, only 37 per cent of health visitors felt they could provide a ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ service to safeguard children and 14 per cent self-rated their service’s ability to safeguard children as ‘inadequate’.

As the healthcare system continues to be impacted by staff shortages and a lack of adequate funding, the NSPCC is calling on the Department of Health and Social Care to deliver on their promise and supply a refreshed Healthy Child Programme.

The Government has also committed to an NHS workforce plan in 2023. The NSPCC is calling for health visitors to be a key focus of this plan with sufficient funding committed to filling the shortfall in the health visitor workforce. This plan should address this issue head-on and complement the updated Healthy Child Programme.

Jack O’Neill, senior policy and public affairs officer at the NSPCC said: “It is vital that families receive that crucial first health visit as soon as possible after a child is born to ensure parents and the new baby are living in a safe and healthy environment. All families across the country should expect consistency of care and not be subjected to a postcode lottery."