From feeding and sleeping to minor ailments and toilet training, more families are getting quick, reliable support for commons concerns, thanks to the growth of a text helpline.
Let’s Chat 0-5 gives parents and carers fast, easy access to expert advice when it’s needed most. It means families do not have to wait for an appointment to ask about things which might be bothering them concerning their child’s health and development. Instead they can simply send a text.
Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust’s Health Visiting Service receives around 3,000 inquiries a month, with 14 per cent of these now going to Let’s Chat 0-5. The helpline’s popularity has continued to grow since its launch in September 2023.
Health Visiting Programme Manager Sonia Hedegaard said: “Many queries can be cleared up with a simple text reply, meaning we can give parents peace of mind quickly.
“We’ve had fantastic feedback from families, with them saying the service has been helpful, leaving them feeling confident and reassured.
“Receiving some of the quick, easy calls via Lets Chat 0-5 is also helping our health visiting teams. By addressing routine queries promptly, health visitors can focus their time and expertise on more complex cases, improving both efficiency and overall quality of care.”
Let’s Chat 0-5 helps the team to work more efficiently, as multiple calls can be handled at the same time. The team can reply to other calls while they wait for a parent who might have gone out for a few hours to reply.
All texts are handled by health professionals who can assess if more help is needed, such as a phone call or visit, or if the person needs signposting to another organisation for further support. The platform’s text format also supports families where there might be language barriers, as parents and carers can use Google Translate to communicate their concerns.
The Health Visiting Service hopes to divert more calls to the helpline by continually improving the service and ongoing promotion. There are also plans to reach out to those who may not yet be using the helpline and making sure all new parents are aware of the option for quick health support.
Sonia said: “We’re seeing growing demand for the service each month, which is a great sign that families appreciate the convenience and responsiveness.”
Using a quality improvement (QI) approach helped Sonia to make Lets Chat 0-5 successful. She stressed the importance of collecting data from the outset, so that improvement could be measured and to identify potential areas for growth.
Parents and carers can text Let’s Chat 0-5 on 07312 263368. The service operates Monday to Friday, excluding bank holidays.
