Lord Laming's report highlighted the pressure of high caseloads on health visitors and said there was 'a desperate need' to recruit more health visitors, whose numbers are at their lowest in 14 years.
Forty per cent of health visitors handle caseloads of more than 500 children and 20 per cent more than 1,000 children.
The report also said that there was 'confusion' over the role of health visitors who, as caseloads for social workers have risen, have taken on child protection issues that were previously referred to social care services. It said this was 'both inappropriate and unmanageable' for health visitors.
Health secretary Alan Johnson announced an Action on Health Visiting programme in partnership with the Community Practitioners and Health Visitors Association and other stakeholders and NHS experts.
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