Carers and primary care information
Your GP and primary care team can provide you with support, advice and information.
It’s important you inform your GP that you are a carer and you want to be added the carers register they hold within the practice.
Your GP could help you with:
- Sources of support and advice, including social services and local voluntary agencies.
- Offering you advice and information on other services within the NHS were appropriate, such as the continence team.
- Providing you with information on any medical conditions of or treatment for the cared for person to help you feel more knowledgeable and confident in your caring role.
- Arranging home visits to you or the person you care for if your caring responsibilities make it difficult to attend appointments at the surgery.
- Arranging 'double' appointments for both you and the person you care for at the same time to avoid having to visit the surgery twice.
- Arranging for repeat prescriptions to be delivered to your local pharmacy to save you picking them up.
- Providing supporting letters and information to enable you and the person you care for to access benefits such as Attendance Allowance or a blue badge scheme.
- Offering priority appointments for unpaid carers
- Offering additional mental health checks to unpaid carers who are children and young adults
- Offering support groups and carers clinics within the practice, where you can talk to peers
- Offering you a free NHS flu vaccination, as all unpaid carers are eligible for this
GPs practices are encourage to each have a designated carers lead, who champions to voice of carers.