The number of health visitors has plummeted by nearly 40% since 2015 due to public health grant cuts, local authority leaders warn.

A new survey by the Institute of Health Visiting (iHV) paints what the iHV describes as ‘a bleak picture’, with health visitors reporting epidemic levels of poverty, and an increase in mental health problems and domestic abuse.

Over nine out of 10 (91%) of the health visitors surveyed reported an increase in poverty affecting families over the past 12 months, and the same amount reported an increase in families needing foodbanks.

Drawing on over 1,300 responses, the poll also revealed that 83% of health visitors found an increase in perinatal mental illness, and 75% reported an increase in domestic abuse.

Nearly 84% reported an increase in children with speech, language and communication delay, and 76% said there was an increase in child behaviour problems.

Nearly two thirds (60%) of health visitors reported further increases in child safeguarding over the last 12 months.

The iHV warned there were ‘insufficient’ health visitors to meet the scale of rising need in England because of a loss of almost 40% of health visitors since 2015.

‘Through their universal reach, health visitors have a privileged and unique view into the lives of babies, young children and their parents/ carers across the UK,’ said Alison Morton, executive director at the iHV.

‘Health visitors’ experiences presented in this report provide an important "early warning signal" of the most pressing threats and challenges to the health and wellbeing of our youngest citizens which are often hidden behind front doors and invisible to other services.

‘The findings also paint a deteriorating picture of a health visiting workforce under immense pressure as practitioners struggle to meet the scale of rising need. Families are facing the brunt of these challenges with a widening postcode lottery of health visiting support across the UK.’

Cllr David Fothergill, chairman of the Local Government Association’s (LGA) Community Wellbeing Board said: ‘As this survey clearly shows, health visitors play a vital role in our communities but councils face growing shortages of them, with the number of health visitors decreasing by nearly 40% since 2015 due to cuts in councils’ public health grant.

‘At a time of increasing need and complexity, health visitors are needed now more than ever. That is why the Government should commit to an ambitious plan to increase the number of health visitors so we can rebuild and regain these vital public health nursing services that have been lost over the last decade.

‘Long-term investments in these key services can benefit children’s lives both now and into the future through improving their school-readiness, attainment, resilience, and taking away burdens from our over-stretched health service.’