Carers

What is a Carer?

Individuals, irrespective of age, who provide or supervise a substantial amount of care on a regular basis to a relative, partner, friend or neighbour who is unable to manage on their own due to factors including illness, disability, frailty, mental distress, impairment or substance abuse.

The term “carer” would not normally apply if the person is:

• a paid carer
• a volunteer from a voluntary agency
• anyone providing personal assistance for payment either in cash or kind

A carer can be a child looking after an older person or parent, or an older person looking after a disabled partner. The definition may be quite wide-ranging.

The person being cared for may not be registered at the carer’s practice. Where the person being cared for is registered elsewhere, the practice will not be able to identify routinely where this relationship has ceased. Periodically, the carer may be asked to re-confirm his / her status.

Where the person being cared for is a registered patient, the relationship can be re-affirmed more often, and major events such as death or de-registration may initiate a change of status from practice-handled information.

Identifying Carers:

There are two methods of identification – self-identification and practice identification, and the practice has put in place mechanisms for both of these.

Self- identification – 

• Referral forms, which are sent to carers and Adult Care Services, are displayed in reception to allow carers to complete and hand in to the practice. If you are an unpaid Carer please fill out and hand in our practice Carers Indetification Form so we can offer you further support from your GP
• New Patient Registration Forms asks the two questions; ‘Do you look after someone?’, and ‘Does somebody look after you?’. This information will be used in the new patient screening appointment to tag the patient’s notes and arrange referral to Care Services.
• Prescriptions- A note is included on repeat prescriptions asking patients to complete a carer’s referral form, kept on reception.

Practice identification – 

• Letter and questionnaire to patients- If the practice writes to a patient, perhaps as part of the flu vaccination campaign, they may be asked to complete a referral form if they are a carer.
• Anyone collecting a prescription on behalf of someone else may be passed a carer’s referral form.
• All Health Professionals in the surgery complete referral forms when they ascertain a patient is a carer. This may be part of a regular discussion at multi-disciplinary team meetings to exploit personal knowledge.
• All carer registrations will, in the first instance, be reviewed by the patient’s usual doctor, who will confirm that the patient is competent to give a valid informed consent.

Contact points for carers: