25th October 2023
To mark the 10th anniversary of the transfer of public health from primary care trusts to local government, the Local Government Association (LGA) interviewed key people closest to the reforms on what they think has worked well, what can be improved on, and learnings to take forward for the future – including iHV CEO, Alison Morton.
Some of the interviews that the LGA conducted were deliberately challenging and provocative. Some of them present a picture of what is already happening in local government, whereas some of them look to what more local and national government could do in the future, either with additional powers or by using their existing powers and remit.
In Alison’s interview, she says:
“The role of the health visitor is unique. There is no other service which sees every family before the age of five. That puts them in a position to make a difference to people’s lives. Health visitors could play a crucial role in addressing the challenges of the cost-of-living crisis, but only if they are properly funded to do so… we can do it – in fact we cannot afford not to.”
