South Gloucestershire Council

Published: 02/10/2015

Responsibility for commissioning health visitors and the Family Nurse Partnership (FNP) has transferred from NHS England to local authorities.

From 1 October, South Gloucestershire Council has full commissioning responsibilities for public health services for children aged 0 to 5, which consists of health visitors and the FNP. The North Bristol Trust (NBT) previously provided the service.

The council’s Public Health & Wellbeing division has established a project board to oversee the transfer, and ensure a successful transition of the responsibility.

South Gloucestershire’s Director of Public Health Professor Mark Pietroni said: “The transfer of 0 to 5 commissioning provides us with an opportunity to integrate public health services currently commissioned for children and young people 5 to 19, and up to age 25 for young people with special educational needs and disability, with other local authority commissioned services. This will enable joined up commissioning from 0 to 19 years old, and improve continuity for children and their families.”

As this is only a transfer of commissioning responsibility from NHS England to South Gloucestershire, health visitors will continue to be employed by NBT and we anticipate continuity in service provision for existing service users receiving the 0 to 5 services. The process does not include the recommissioning of the Community Children’s Services across Bristol, North Somerset, and South Gloucestershire (BNSSG).