The recommendation, set to be considered by Suffolk County Council's Cabinet next week, comes after a major public consultation which received 1,928 responses and more than 1,500 detailed comments. The biggest concern raised by families, staff and partner organisations was the proposal to remove Community Staff Nurses from the Health Visiting Service.
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, strengthening specialist oversight and continuity during pregnancy and the earliest months of a child's life.
Following the consultation, Cllr June Mummery, Cabinet Member for Coastal Affairs, Communities and Public Health, argued that the council must find a way to keep Community Staff Nurses and pushed for additional funding to make that possible.
Cabinet will now be asked to approve up to £1.4 million a year of additional core funding, alongside an additional £3.7 million a year from the ring-fenced Public Health Grant, to support the revised model.
Cllr June Mummery, Suffolk County Council’s cabinet member for coastal affairs, communities and public health, said:
“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.
"I wasn't prepared to ignore that. I pushed hard for us to look again at the proposals and find another way forward.
"Today, we're recommending that Community Staff Nurses stay. Along with the extra Health Visitors, I believe this will create a stronger Health Visiting Service for Suffolk families.
"But we also need to be honest about why these conversations are happening in the first place. For years, Suffolk has been near the bottom of the pecking order when it comes to public health funding from government. We receive just £49.25 per person through the Public Health Grant, the lowest allocation anywhere 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.
"One of my next priorities will be to step up our campaign for a fairer funding deal for Suffolk. I have to say I'm disappointed that Suffolk's MPs have not given more attention to Suffolk's position when it comes to public health funding. I would have expected them to be standing alongside us and fighting for Suffolk's fair share.
"I hope they will now join me, because if we are serious about prevention, early intervention and giving children the best possible start in life, then Suffolk deserves a fairer deal."
Cabinet will be asked to approve the recommendations at its meeting on Tuesday 10 November 2026.
If approved, the next phase of work will focus on developing the future model with the people who deliver it, including Community Staff Nurses, Health Visitors and trade union representatives. This work will look at how different professional roles work together, how services are organised locally and how the model can operate safely and sustainably over the long term.
Read the Cabinet papers: https://committeeminutes.suffolk.gov.uk/
Watch the meeting on YouTube from 2.30pm on Tuesday 10 November 2026: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JD3O_qvA-c
