22nd July 2026
We are delighted that a joint letter from the Institute of Health Visiting and leading health visiting and academic experts was published in today’s print edition of The Guardian, in response to growing concerns about the declining health of children across the UK.
The letter was prompted by recent Guardian coverage of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) ‘State of Child Health 2026’ report which highlights doctors’ concerns that ‘UK children will be one of the unhealthiest generations for decades’. While the RCPCH report included a number of important recommendations to improve children’s health, including increasing the capacity of the health visiting workforce, this aspect was not reflected in the article. The authors therefore welcomed the opportunity to highlight the important role that health visitors play in improving outcomes for babies, children and families.
Signed by Professor Barbara Stilwell, President of the International Collaboration on Community Health Nursing Research; Alison Morton, CEO of the Institute of Health Visiting; Professor Sally Kendall, Professor of Community Nursing and Public Health at the University of Kent; Professor Gina Higginbottom, Emeritus Professor of Ethnicity and Community Health at the University of Nottingham; and Professor Pam Smith, Professor of Nursing at the University of Edinburgh, the letter highlights the unique contribution that health visitors make to improving child health, supporting families and reducing inequalities.
Our collective voices highlighted that, “All of the big-ticket health concerns that have been flagged in this damning report fall within the remit of health visitors, who can contribute significantly to improving birth outcomes and child health, tackling falling immunisation rates, and supporting strong foundations for health and development across the life course – alongside their work in safeguarding, parenting support and addressing the wider social determinants of health.”
Yet the profession is in crisis. With 45% fewer health visitors since 2015, preventive support for families has been eroded over years of underinvestment and service cuts. We argue that health visitors must continue to be at the forefront of community-based efforts to improve child health and wellbeing – rebuilding the health visiting workforce must be a priority.
We are grateful to The Guardian for recognising these concerns and providing an opportunity to highlight the vital role of health visiting in improving outcomes for babies, children and families. We also extend our sincere thanks to Professor Barbara Stilwell, Professor Sally Kendall, Professor Gina Higginbottom and Professor Pam Smith for their leadership and support in joining with us to bring this important message to a national audience.
