Thursday, 12 January 2012 15:30 | 
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Over 180 extra health visitors are being recruited this year to support families in the south of England. This is to ensure every family with children under five has the support of a dedicated health visitor. A similar number of additional health visitors will be trained next year. The health visiting service is currently being expanded and modernised to ensure there are enough health visitors to give all children a healthy start in life and parents the support they need. This is part of a national recruitment drive to train an extra 4,200 health visitors across England by 2015.
The local NHS is currently seeking qualified nurses, midwives or student nurses to begin specialist training this September.
Clare Messenger, Associate Director of Children and Young people at South Central Strategic Health Authority added: “We are currently seeking qualified healthcare professionals and students, passionate about the health and wellbeing of children, who are looking for a new career opportunity. This is an exciting time to join the health visiting profession and you will make a real difference to the lives of local families.”
Clare explained: “Health visitors offer free advice and invaluable support to parents when they don’t know where to turn for help or just really need some reassurance.
To help raise awareness of the health visiting profession two final year students from Solent University have produced a video for the NHS. The humorous ‘Grumpy baby’ video is part of the campaign to raise the profile of health visiting; both as an exciting career option and free NHS service for all parents.
If you have children under five and think you could benefit from the support of a health visitor you can find out more by speaking with your GP or midwife.
For details on how to become a health visitor visit www.southcentral.nhs.uk/healthvisitor
Watch the Grumpy baby video on YouTube http://youtu.be/Vp1iCANZoJU
12th January, 2012
Last Updated (Thursday, 12 January 2012 15:35)