Doncaster NHS facebook page has clocked up an impressive 10,000 followers

Doncaster’s health visitors are celebrating hitting the five-figure milestone, some seven years after dipping their toes into social media and gathering an average of 27 new followers each week since then.

The page is administered by Leana Gater and Sophie Uzelac, from Rotherham Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust (RDaSH), who have published hundreds of topical health-related posts, adding new content most days.

Leana said: “We quickly found facebook to be an ideal way of reaching out to local families and routinely feature advice and information on such issues as breastfeeding, child development, safety and much more. The list is endless, but the key challenge is to keep the page relevant and active.

“We cut across the generations, so it’s not just parents but grandparents as well who follow us. We have a message facility for anyone who wants to ask a specific question that they don’t want to be publicly displayed and we aim to respond within one working day. Our followers use the page to comment and review the services we provide, which is useful feedback for the health visiting team.”

One recent post reminded people not to use expired sunscreen as it won’t provide effective protection from the sun, prompting a local mum to reply: “I have now been out and bought all new sun cream for my children ready for the nice weather.”

Search for Doncaster Health Visitors on facebook.

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