Reinstate Health Visitor referral system to Springburn Baby Foodbank

Reinstate Health Visitor referral system to Springburn Baby Foodbank

Started
27 January 2020
Petition to
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde
Signatures: 988Next Goal: 1,000
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Why this petition matters

Started by Feed

Together with the volunteers at Springburn Baby Foodbank, we at Feed are asking you to help ensure that Health Visitors are always able to refer the families they work with to all foodbanks according to need.

Springburn Baby Foodbank was founded to support local families in crisis and works on a referral basis to offer baby essentials such as nappies, wipes, breast pads, baby food and first infant formula. Having initially worked with the baby foodbank to set up the referral system, local Health Visitors have since been prevented from referring families in need to the service because it provides first infant formula.

We have also learned that another local foodbank, who have worked with Health Visitor referrals for some time, have also recently been advised that local Health Visitors are now unable to refer families to this service to access infant formula.

This issue could affect any foodbank or service that provides formula fed babies with infant formula.

Infant formula is food, and when families struggle to or cannot access formula it puts the most vulnerable babies at risk. It is therefore absolutely crucial that all health and social care professionals who work closely with families have access to referral pathways to foodbanks and other such services. Health Visitors are ideally placed to identify need and signpost families to the relevant services in order to provide support to them to feed their babies safely.

Since highlighting our campaign to the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Health Board, we are delighted that they would like to meet with us to seek a way forward that helps all families. This is a really positive step but we still need your support.

Join our Formula Is Food campaign today by signing our open letter and give your backing to Health Visitors referring families in need to the services best placed to help them, including services that support formula fed babies and their families.

Thanks for your support,
Team Feed
www.feeduk.org/formulaisfood

Support now
Signatures: 988Next Goal: 1,000
Support now
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Decision-Makers

  • NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde