The plan says the government will work with health authorities to highlight the importance of the role. But Dave Munday, professional officer at the health workers' union Unite, said it was a different story at a local level.

"When you go round the country our members are facing service cuts," said Munday, who felt health visiting was becoming a "Cinderella service" where posts were most likely to be cut if trusts needed to save money.

The Department of Health said the number of community and primary nurses had risen by 40 per cent since 1997.

- See Analysis, p13.