Who is a carer?
A carer is a person of any age (including children) who provides unpaid support to a partner, relative, friend or neighbour who couldn’t get by without their help. This could be due to old age, frailty, disability, a serious health condition, mental ill health or substance misuse. Parents of children who are disabled or who have a serious health condition are also considered to be carers.
It is estimated that 10% of patients are carers.
Improving carer identification
As a practice, we want to increase the number of people on our carers’ register so that we can look after you better. We do this by:
- Asking patients with long-term conditions to name their carers
- Running awareness-raising campaigns to get carers to tell us about their caring responsibilities
What we offer to improve healthcare for carers
- Regular health check appointments to help you keep fit and well
- More flexible appointments
- Information on local carer support groups
- Referrals to carers’ services for more specialised information, advice and support
Dedicated services for carers
If you care for someone and would like additional support then the following information may help.
