Children harmed by decision to redeploy health visitors, Covid inquiry hears

A decision by the NHS to redeploy health visitors during the pandemic was "fundamentally flawed" and "children were harmed" as a result, the head of a health visiting charity has told the Covid inquiry.

Many health visitors were sent to work in other parts of the NHS at the beginning of the pandemic.

Alison Morton, CEO of the Institute of Health Visiting, told the inquiry it was "inappropriate" as they "were needed most on their own front line".

NHS England's Chief Nursing Officer Duncan Burton told the inquiry its response to safeguarding did not stop throughout the pandemic despite staff being diverted to critical services.

Health visitors in almost two thirds of trusts in England were redeployed in March 2020, according to research by University College London.

The intention was that they would go to work in hospitals to support acutely ill patients but some were sent to do administration, to deliver parcels and to answer telephones, the inquiry heard.

Some health visitors who remained in post were left with case loads of 750 children or more, way above the recommended 250, evidence provided by Prof Catherine Davies, of Leeds University, to the inquiry showed.

"We let families down", Ms Morton told the inquiry, saying protection was not afforded to babies and that "some children paid the highest price".

The inquiry was shown research by the child safeguarding review practice panel which identified Covid adaptions, such as virtual visits as opposed to home visits by health visitors, as factors in the deaths and serious incidents of some children.

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Source: BBC News, 8 October 2025