Changes to Buxton baby weighing classes '˜due to low turnout'

The baby weigh, stay and play sessions at Buxton Library and Fairfield Centre offer parents a chance to share advice and socialise.

But, due to low turnout, the service has been altered from a drop-in session to appointment-based.

Jan Dawson, head of children’s services for Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Our aim is to provide the best possible service for all service users, so working together with young families we recently reviewed their baby weighing drop-in service in Buxton because the take-up for that particular service was comparatively low.

“Given the drop-in nature of the service we decided we could provide greater choice for families while making better use of health visitors’ time by moving to an appointment-based service instead, where families just need to call and book in advance. The service locations remain unchanged and we’ll continue to talk with families to see how the service is working for them.”

Concerns were raised earlier this year that such a decision would be taken.

Mum-of-four, Elizabeth Walker, 36, of Fairfield, said that she and the other mums were under the impression it had been axed completely as nothing had been advertised.

“As a sufferer of anxiety, panic attacks and agoraphobia and depression this was a vital part of my journey to get back some normality and sanity,” Elizabeth said.

“I feel, along with so many other parents, that this lack of service has been unjustified and has made the isolated more isolated and taken away a service which most parents used regularly.”