Norfolk Charity: unpaid carers need better access to GP appointments
'The Carers Speak Out' report claims carers feel unsupported, isolated and overlooked, with many facing growing challenges in their day-to-day lives
A charity in Norfolk says unpaid carers should get help to access GP appointments, so they can help themselves and others.
'Caring Together's' report calls for urgent action to better recognise the work of these 150,000 people in the East.
"They're facing a double whammy"
Zoe Bunter is from the group that works across the county and into Cambridgeshire:
"There's a huge amount of anxiety for the carer about getting the right support for the person that they look after.
"There's also a great deal of concern around themselves around their own well-being.
"A lot of the carers who we support are elderly people themselves, with their own health issues. So they're facing a double whammy".
"If our body of unpaid carers were to down tools overnight, the NHS and adult social care would not be able to cope.
"Therefore we need to support our carers and provide them with the help they need to carry on with their caring role".
The report in more detail:
The Carers Speak Out report claims carers feel unsupported, isolated and overlooked, with many facing growing challenges in their day-to-day lives.
It says there is:
• Widespread difficulty in accessing healthcare, including GP support – both for themselves and the people they care for.
• Escalating financial pressures driven by changes to benefits such as the Winter Fuel Payment, rising energy costs, and the overall cost of living. Many carers are forced to reduce working hours or give up work entirely, at the expense of their financial stability and personal wellbeing.
• An emotional and physical toll of caring, with many suffering emotional distress as they watch a family member become increasingly unwell, and struggle to get them the help they need.
"We can’t afford to run the heat"
One carer wrote of her mum who has dementia, “It’s a struggle keeping a confused lady safe and calm. It’s heartbreaking.”
Another said, “The Winter Fuel Payment (changes) have caused us a lot of problems. I am caring for my wife who is very poorly and wheelchair bound and in constant pain.
"We can’t afford to run the heat like we did as we are both pensioners and I am disabled too. This is a necessity not a luxury and should not be means tested.”
What is the charity calling for?
-Caring Together says unpaid carers need to be recognised and prioritised by GP surgeries.
- MP should advocate for the thousands of unpaid carers living in their constituencies
-Employers need to become carer-friendly, with the support of the charity. They say this will enable more unpaid carers to stay in work.
What's the Government said on this?
The Government says unpaid carers are eligible for a range of support including Carer's Allowance, Carer's Credit, Universal Credit