Patch and practice: specialist roles for health visitors.

Health visiting is facing its biggest ever challenge from the government's decision to give GP fundholders the powers to purchase health visiting and other community nursing services, writes WALTER BARKER. Here he proposes that health visitors should specialise and work either as practice health visitors employed by GP fundholders or as community health visitors employed by FHSAs or public health directorates. This approach would retain a strong home support service for families in need while maintaining the health visitor's public health role, he argues.