Community nurses have hailed a council change of heart as a "victory" and hope it means the future service will meet families’ needs.
Suffolk County Council has said it will keep community staff nurses in its Healthy Child Service after nearly 2,000 people responded to a consultation.
The council’s original proposal, announced in July, could have cut up to 50 nurses.
June Mummery, Suffolk County Council’s cabinet member for coastal affairs, communities and public health, said: "People spoke and we listened. The message could not have been clearer.
"Families, staff and partners told us that community staff nurses are valued, trusted, and make a real difference to children's lives.
"Today, we're recommending that community staff nurses stay.
"Along with the extra health visitors, I believe this will create a stronger health visiting service for Suffolk families."
Following the announcement, Netti Wilden, a health visitor, said: "We are extremely pleased that Suffolk County Council has listened to the concerns raised by health visitors, community staff nurses, families and the wider public and recognised the vital role community staff nurses play within the health visiting service."
For the workers, Ms Wilden said it was "never simply about protecting jobs".
She continued: "It was about protecting a service for children and families across Suffolk. Community Staff Nurses are an integral part of the team, bringing valuable skills, experience and capacity to support families and ensure children receive the care they need.
"While this is a positive outcome, we hope it marks a commitment to genuinely listening to frontline staff and ensuring the future service is properly resourced to meet the needs of Suffolk families."
The council’s cabinet will be asked to approve up to £1.4 million a year in extra core funding, plus £3.7 million from the ring-fenced public health grant.
Suffolk County Council, led by Reform UK, said it could not yet give exact staffing figures for the scheme.
Jack Abbott, MP for Ipswich, said: "This is a victory for the many campaigners who fought to save community staff nurses and I pay particular tribute to the families, nurses and health visitors who had to fight so hard to save this vital service.
"While the service as a principle might have been saved, the Reform administration won't confirm if they will still cut the number of nurses, and they still are making brutal cuts to essential family services."
The recommendations will go before the cabinet on Tuesday, November 10, 2026.
If approved, the next phase will involve further developing the service model in collaboration with staff and union representatives.
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