Aneurin Bevan health visitors using paper records concern

Health visitors across Gwent are still using paper-based records – leading to fears that crucial child protection information could be overlooked.

The issue was highlighted to councillors as they were updated on how a pilot programme running across Gwent to support families with children up to the age of seven has progressed. 

But they were told staffing pressures among health visitors, who are supposed to call in on all newborns, means many have missed out on training as part of the pilot. 

Sue O’Brian, who is the early years pilot manager for Newport and Monmouthshire, also said “many health visitors are still using paper records” though agreements are being put in place for the sharing of data around a new electronic system between the health board and councils. 

Chepstow Labour councillor Armand Watts, said he was “slightly taken aback” by the information Monmouthshire County Council’s public services scrutiny committee had been given. 

Monmouth Labour councillor Steven Garratt said he was “shocked” to learn paper records are still in use and said: “They are a recipe for disaster. Every child death report we hear about communication, one side not telling the other, is raised. There needs to be some central system, children’s lives are at risk.” 

Beth Watkins, who is the council’s manager for the Flying Start programme which has supported families with children under four in the most deprived areas of Monmouthshire since 2006, said there is a concern over paper records. 

She said: “Paper records is an issue if there is a new, or different health visitor, they may not identify what vulnerabilities families have without reading through all the records, but that is changing.” 

Ms Watkins also due to a decision by the health board to remove the specialist nurses and midwives from the Flying Start centres she no longer knows which health visitors are working with families and neither do other professionals. 

She said the centres, which the council runs in Abergavenny, Monmouth, Chepstow and Caldicot, are intended to be within a “pram push” of the communities which have been identified as among the most deprived. 

But health visitors have moved to other locations: “In Abergavenny they are in Maindiff Court which is two miles out of town, it’s not face to face as it was when the service started in 2006. 

“We’ve lost that connection with the health visitors and as a result parents don’t know who their health visitor is. To me it’s quite worrying professionals do not know who a family’s heath visitor is and are having to ring a helpline (to be told) when they were previously across a corridor.

“Gathering evidence the health board is delivering Flying Start is difficult. I would previously see them delivering it and families coming into the centres.” 

Ms Watkins added that she has since raised “serious data issues” with the Welsh Government and health board as it had been unable to provide her with figures to show it is still supporting the Flying Start programme. 

The intention of the pilot is to ensure help isn’t denied to people due to where they live and it also recognises not all parents in Flying Start areas will require intensive support but Ms Watkins said the council still needs to gather data as the programme is still in operation to support the most deprived communities. 

She said the expansion of support has led to confusion in the health service with some of its staff having believed Flying Start is no longer operating. 

The committee intend holding a special meeting so they can quiz Aneurin Bevan Health Board chief executive Nicola Prygodzicz on the issue and the reogranisation of the workload of health visitors. 

It’s hoped the meeting can take place in July.