Families from Norwich will soon be benefiting from a new-look Health Visitor service, it was announced today.

A redesigned service will be available to families throughout Norfolk after being granted 'Early Implementer' status by the Department of Health.

The decision means the service will be one of just 20 health visitor services nationally, and one of only two in the East of England region, that will start delivering the service to people before March 2012.

The service will be provided to people across Norfolk, with the exception of the Great Yarmouth area, by Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust (NCH&C) and will also be spread out elsewhere across the country by 2015.

The announcement was made this morning by Public Health Minister, Anne Milton, at a launch event in London.

Health Visitors begin helping families during a pregnancy and continue to offer support through the first few weeks after the birth of the baby all the way through until early childhood.

As an Early Implementer, NCH&C's Health Visitor team will begin delivering the new service, which will expand on the existing service by working even closer with other health and care professionals, such as Family Nurse Partnership teams, Sure Start Children's Centres, GPs and midwives.

There will also be a recruitment drive to significantly increase the number of Health Visitors available.

For more information visit www.norfolkcommunityhealthandcare.nhs.uk