Abstract
The attempt has been made to consider the future rôle of the health visitor within the total context of the welfare state. The case for her redundancy has been examined and it has been suggested that her continuance is unlikely unless her rôle is envisaged in an entirely new way. It has been pointed out that the most serious problem facing the health and welfare services is not physical but psycho-social breakdowns. It has been suggested that the health visitor's new task should be to make herself redundant in the mental health field as she has already made herself redundant in the physical sphere. To this end her training requires to be reconsidered. The skills she will need will be primarily those of a family case-worker, and it is suggested that her training in future should be along lines similar to those of the almoner rather than the nurse.
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