Community Health Services

Overview

What community health services do

Community health services provide care outside hospital, often in homes, clinics, schools, children’s centres and local health hubs. They support babies, children, families, disabled people, older people, people with long-term conditions, mental health needs, maternity needs and people recovering after illness or hospital discharge.

Official NHS community services:
https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/

District nurses

District nurses support people at home or in community settings. They may help with:

• wound care
• pressure sores
• injections
• catheter care
• continence support
• end-of-life care
• medication support
• long-term condition care
• hospital discharge follow-up

Access is usually through a GP, hospital discharge team, community nursing service or social care referral.

Community midwives

Community midwives support pregnancy and postnatal care. They may provide:

• antenatal appointments
• blood pressure and urine checks
• baby growth monitoring
• birth planning
• postnatal checks
• feeding support
• emotional wellbeing checks
• safeguarding support

NHS pregnancy guidance:
https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/

Health visitors

Health visitors support families with babies and young children, usually from pregnancy until age 5.

They can help with:

• baby feeding
• growth and development
• sleep
• bonding
• parental mental health
• safety at home
• immunisations advice
• SEND or developmental concerns
• safeguarding concerns

NHS baby and child health:
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/baby/

School nurses

School nurses support school-age children and young people. They may help with:

• emotional wellbeing
• healthy eating
• sleep
• toileting
• puberty
• long-term conditions
• safeguarding
• school attendance linked to health
• SEND health support
• care plans for asthma, epilepsy, diabetes or allergies

Parents can ask school, GP or local children’s health service how to contact the school nursing team.

Community mental health teams

Community Mental Health Teams support adults with more complex or serious mental health needs. Support may include:

• mental health assessment
• care planning
• medication review
• psychological support
• crisis planning
• social care links
• support with housing, safety or daily living

For urgent mental health crisis support in England, call 111 and choose the mental health option.

NHS mental health services:
https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/mental-health-services/

Social prescribing

Social prescribing connects people with non-medical support in the community. A link worker may help with:

• loneliness
• exercise groups
• welfare advice
• housing support
• debt advice
• arts or community groups
• carers support
• volunteering
• healthy lifestyle support
• confidence and wellbeing

You can ask your GP practice about social prescribing.

NHS social prescribing information:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/personalisedcare/social-prescribing/

Children, parents and carers

Parents can ask community services for support if a child has:

• feeding difficulties
• delayed speech or development
• sleep problems
• school anxiety
• safeguarding concerns
• SEND needs
• emotional distress
• long-term health conditions
• family stress or caring responsibilities

Keep copies of health visitor notes, school nurse records, clinic letters, referrals, care plans and school evidence.

Legal rights

You have rights to:

• safe care
• dignity and respect
• clear information
• informed consent
• confidentiality
• access to records
• reasonable adjustments
• involvement in decisions
• complaints and investigation

Key protections include the NHS Constitution, Equality Act 2010, Children Act 1989/2004, Care Act 2014, Mental Capacity Act 2005, and safeguarding duties.

NHS Constitution:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-nhs-constitution-for-england

Accessible support

Ask community services for:

• Easy Read information
• large print, Braille or audio
• BSL interpreter
• language interpreter
• longer appointment
• home visit where clinically appropriate
• quiet appointment space
• communication support
• carer or advocate involvement
• reasonable adjustment flag

Accessible Information Standard:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/accessible-information-standard/

Evidence and accountability

Keep:

• referral dates
• appointment records
• care plans
• risk plans
• medication lists
• wound or symptom photos where relevant
• school records
• safeguarding notes
• names of professionals spoken to
• emails and letters

Ask for:

• written care plan
• named professional
• review date
• referral confirmation
• safety-netting advice
• discharge plan
• reasonable adjustments in writing

If care is delayed, unsafe or inaccessible, contact the service manager, GP practice manager, hospital PALS, NHS complaints team, local authority complaints team, safeguarding team or Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman.

Official links

• NHS services: https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/
• NHS pregnancy: https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/
• NHS baby health: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/baby/
• NHS children’s health: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/baby/health/
• NHS mental health services: https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/mental-health-services/
• NHS social prescribing: https://www.england.nhs.uk/personalisedcare/social-prescribing/
• NHS complaints: https://www.nhs.uk/contact-us/how-to-complain-to-the-nhs/
• Accessible Information Standard: https://www.england.nhs.uk/accessible-information-standard/

Best rule: ask early, keep records, request adjustments in writing, involve family or carers where needed, and escalate if safety or access is affected.