Who are carers?
Many carers are not known by their GP practice as there is confusion around how to define the term ‘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 them 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
- Flu vaccination – most carers are eligible for a free flu vaccination to protect themselves and the person they care for
- Regular health check appointments to help you keep fit and well
- More flexible appointments
- Carer support groups
- Referrals to carers’ services for more specialised information, advice and support