Should you need urgent health advice please contact your GP or call NHS 111. In an emergency please visit A&E or call 999

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Contact a Health Visitor by Text

ChatHealth is a messaging service for parents and carers of children under 5 in Devon.

The service is run by local health visitors who have a wealth of experience of working with mums and dads-to-be, babies, toddlers and young children.

The Health Visiting Team can support with questions from parents, carers and families relating to a wide range of health and wellbeing issues including crying babies, infant feeding, starting baby on solid foods, sleep and behaviour problems. As well as giving advice, the team can signpost to appropriate services and other support.

Just text the dedicated number: 07520 631721

How does it work?

The texting service is available from 09:00am to 5:00pm Monday to Friday (excluding weekends and bank holidays). You will receive an automated message straightaway to confirm that your text has been received, and then you will get a response from a health visitor within 24 hours.

This service is confidential

Your messages are stored and can be seen by healthcare staff who follow strict confidentiality rules. If they are concerned about your safety, they might inform someone, but would usually speak to you about this first.

Remember, health professionals will only see your text during working hours – 09:00am to 5:00pm Monday to Friday. If you need help more quickly, you should contact your GP, nearest walk in centre or dial 111.

Please note that the ChatHealth messaging service cannot receive voice calls or MMS picture messages. To prevent the health professional from sending messages to you, text stop to the number. Messages are charged at your usual rate.

 

Have your say

Help us improve the local information on this website and give us feedback about any contacts you have had with our service by completing the Devon Public Health Nursing feedback form.

ChatHealth Logo

Devon County Council runs a confidential secure text messaging service for parents of children aged 0-19 years called ChatHealth. The service operates Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm, excluding bank holidays. All texts will be responded to by a public health nurse (health visitor/school nurse) within 24 hours. Outside of the service working hours, you’ll receive a message back to inform you that your text will be responded to once the line reopens. You can also call our Public Health Nursing hubs on the numbers listed below.

If you are concerned about the safety of a child in Devon, contact our Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) on 0345 155 1071 or email mashsecure@devon.gov.uk with as much information as possible.

This page was last reviewed on 27-04-2022

This page will be next reviewed on 27-04-2025