Health Visiting Information Hub
What is a health visitor?
A Health Visitor is a qualified nurse or midwife who has completed specialist training in children and family health (SCPHN - Specialist Community Public Health Nurse). They offer support and advice regarding the wellbeing of your child until they start school.
Health Visitors follow a Universal Health Visiting Pathway, which sets out a core home visiting programme to be offered to all families. We offer structured home visiting service from pre-birth until the child enters primary school.
What the Health Visiting team can provide:
Regular visits to children from birth to five years old to ensure that children are progressing satisfactorily and to offer support and advice.
Your health visitor will provide you with specialist up-to-date advice and support on many health and wellbeing topics such as:
- Your own support after the birth of your baby
- Child development – sleep, speech and language, behaviour and school readiness
- Assistance with the various aspects of being a parent
- Recognition and identification of needs and referral if appropriate
- Information on childhood immunisations
- Breastfeeding support
- Formula feeding support
- Support around weaning and diet
- Oral health
- Safety in and around the home – reducing accidents
- Minor childhood ailments
- Building community connections
- Promoting positive mental health and wellbeing for the whole family
- Community Nursery Nurse support around Child Development.
The Health Visitors can be contacted Monday – Friday between 8.30am – 4 pm on telephone number - 0131 536 9770.
N.B. Health Visiting teams do not work on Public Holidays.
Clinics
Drop in weight clinic
We run drop-in Weight clinics every fortnight on a Wednesday at Tollcross Health Centre .No need to book just drop into Tollcross Health Centre between 9.30 am - 11.30 am. If families are unsure which Wednesday clinic is on, please don't hesitate to call the Health Visiting team on 0131 536 9770 and we will be able to advise them.
Immunisation clinic – by appointment only
Bruntsfield Medical Practice every Wednesday.
Immunisation appointments are not scheduled by the Health Visiting team, they are issued centrally by Child Health Services and delivered by the EVT Team (Edinburgh Vaccination Team). The Health Visiting team are unable to make any changes to immunisation appointments. Please contact the vaccination appointment line on: telephone 0131 312 1860.
Further information about immunisations can be obtained from the NHS immunisations leaflet or by visiting www.immunisationscotland.org.uk
Weaning talks – Run by Community Nursery Nurse at Tollcross Health Centre – appointment only.
If your child Is unwell, please contact your GP practice or NHS 24 on 111
If you have concerns about your baby and cannot get in touch with your Health Visitor immediately, contact your GP surgery or NHS 24 on 111.
If you have any concerns about a child’s safety or wellbeing
Any Child Protection concerns regarding a child please call:
Social Work Direct on 0131 2002324 or Emergency Social Work on 08007316969
Useful websites recommended by our Health Visiting team...
www.lets-talk.scot.nhs.uk - Speech and language support
www.facebook.com/NHSLothianSLT - Health Visiting Facebook page
https://www.lets-talk.scot.nhs.uk/tips-and-info/
Health visiting in your community - IHV - This inspiring film showcases the breadth of health visitors’ work and their critical role in supporting the health and wellbeing of thousands and thousands of families every week.
Page created: 06 June 2025