> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.ipswich.co.uk/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Community staff nurses set to be saved after consultation - URL: https://www.ipswich.co.uk/community-staff-nurses-set-to-be-saved-after-consultation/ - Published: 2026-11-02T15:09:47.000Z - Updated: 2026-11-02T17:02:31.000Z - Description: Suffolk County Council has revised its plans for children's health services to retain community staff nurses, after the proposal to axe the role became the biggest concern raised in a major public consultation. But Ipswich MP Jack Abbott remains "incredibly concerned" that cuts are still coming. - Author: Jon Moran - Tags: News, Health & Care Services, Suffolk County Council **Why it matters:** Community staff nurses support families with young children through home visits as part of the health visiting service. Up to 49 nursing roles had been at risk under the original proposals, which one health visitor warned would be "absolutely disastrous" for vulnerable families. **The details:** The consultation received 1,928 responses and more than 1,500 detailed comments, with families, staff and partner organisations all raising concerns about removing the role. Under the revised proposals: - Community staff nurses would remain part of the future service, alongside an increased number of health visitors. - Families with children under five would continue to receive all five universal health and development reviews. - Health visitors would carry out the first three reviews, which the council says will strengthen specialist oversight and continuity during pregnancy and the earliest months of a child's life. **By the numbers:** Cabinet will be asked to approve up to £1.4m a year of additional core funding, alongside an extra £3.7m a year from the ring-fenced Public Health Grant, to support the revised model. **What they're saying:** Councillor June Mummery, cabinet member for coastal affairs, communities and public health, pushed for the council to find a way to keep the nurses and for additional funding to make it possible. "People spoke and we listened. The message could not have been clearer. Families, staff and partners told us that Community Staff Nurses are valued, trusted, and make a real difference to children's lives," she said. "I wasn't prepared to ignore that. I pushed hard for us to look again at the proposals and find another way forward." **The funding row:** Cllr Mummery said Suffolk receives just £49.25 per person through the Public Health Grant – the lowest allocation in the East of England and well below the regional average of £60.80. "This is absolutely outrageous. That means Suffolk is being asked to deliver the same outcomes as other areas with less money. It means every decision is harder than it should be," she said. She also criticised Suffolk's MPs, saying she was "disappointed" they had not given more attention to the county's public health funding. "I would have expected them to be standing alongside us and fighting for Suffolk's fair share," she added. **The other side:** Ipswich MP Jack Abbott described the U-turn as a "victory" for campaigners, but he remained "incredibly concerned" that cuts may still be on the way. He said: "This is a victory for the many campaigners who fought to save Community Staff Nurses, and I pay particular tribute to the families, nurses and health visitors who had to fight to save this vital service. "However, Reform claiming that they saved the nurses is not only farcical, but it holds people in contempt. It was their plans which had caused so much anguish to so many people before they u-turned, and even now they can't come clean about their proposals. "While the service as a principle might have been saved, the Reform administration won't confirm if they will still cut the number of nurses, and they still are making brutal cuts to essential family services. "So while today represents a major win for families and nurses, I remain incredibly concerned about the impact of Reform's cuts to family services in Suffolk." **For context:** When the consultation opened in July, a Suffolk County Council health visitor of more than a decade told Ipswich.co.uk that staff nurses were indispensable to the service. "If we didn't have the staff nurses, I don't know how we would be able to cope – they're invaluable to the service," they said. The consultation, which ran from 8 July to 18 September, also covered proposed changes to school nursing and plans to end the Family Nurse Partnership and Young Parent's Pathway as standalone programmes for parents under 21. **What's next:** Cabinet will be asked to approve the recommendations at its meeting on Tuesday, 10 November. If approved, the council will develop the future model with the people who deliver it, including community staff nurses, health visitors and trade union representatives. This will look at how different roles work together, how services are organised locally and how the model can operate safely and sustainably over the long term. **The bottom line:** After families and staff made their voices heard, community staff nurses look set to remain part of Suffolk's health visiting service – but the council warns that tough decisions will continue while Suffolk receives the lowest public health funding per person in the East of England. --- **Don't forget:** If you enjoy our content, please [add Ipswich.co.uk as a "preferred source" on Google](https://google.com/preferences/source?q=ipswich.co.uk&ref=ipswich.co.uk) so you can easily find more of the content you value. [Add as a preferred source on Google](https://google.com/preferences/source?q=ipswich.co.uk&ref=ipswich.co.uk) --- ### This article cost us \~£27 to produce It's free for you to read thanks to the generous support of our partners. Please support us by supporting them.