Carers UK welcomed the Government's public engagement exercise to inform the development of a new 10 year plan for the NHS.
Members of the public, as well as NHS staff and experts were urged to share their experiences, views and ideas for fixing the NHS and making it fit for the future.
Alongside patients and staff, we wanted unpaid carers to have a strong voice in shaping the future of the NHS to ensure:
- the NHS 10-year plan clearly recognises the role of unpaid carers
- there are specific measures which would better recognise and support unpaid carers, both in their caring role and as patients needing support themselves.
What has Carers UK done so far?
We have gathered evidence from a short survey where carers told us about their experiences of the NHS and shared insights on what the future of the NHS should look like for unpaid carers.
We also held an online engagement event in November, where carers shared their views on the NHS directly with senior staff from the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England.
We will use these insights over the coming months to ensure carers’ voices are at the heart of NHS reforms that are brought forward.
Why are unpaid carers important to the NHS?
The 4.7 million unpaid carers in England provide essential support for millions of older, ill or disabled relatives and friends. Carers’ support is valued at £152 billion, the equivalent of a second NHS, but they often face greater health inequalities and poor health outcomes.
Carers UK has been calling for change for many years to help improve carers’ own health and wellbeing and fundamentally change the way that the NHS recognises and supports unpaid carers in their caring role.
Many carers struggle within their own health, with mounting evidence that unpaid caring is a social determinant of health. The 2021 GP Patient Survey found that 60% of carers report a long-term health condition or disability compared to 50% of non-carers. 60% of unpaid carers answering our State of Caring 2023 survey said they were not involved in hospital discharge, despite this being the law. A majority of unpaid carers responding to Carers UK research said that they needed more support from the NHS in order to care.
Lord Darzi’s independent investigation of the NHS in England recognised that carers need and deserve more support from the NHS. Despite their huge contribution to care in the UK, carers often feel invisible and misunderstood. The Darzi report recommended the NHS needs a ‘fresh approach’ to unpaid carers.
What will Carers UK be calling for?
We will be adding to this page and updating it as the NHS Plan engagement develops.