Carers

Many of you will have seen the new Health Secretary calling on families to give more support to elderly relatives. These claims have become a feature of the current government, with Jeremy Hunt saying back in 2012 when he was Health Secretary that we should “adopt the Asian culture of caring for the elderly“, and a health minister in 2017 suggesting families should care for elderly relatives as they do their children.

We would like to reassure our patients that we know

  • family members are overwhelmingly the source of care in this country already
  • the largest share of this unpaid work falls on spouses
  • only 5% of such carers are in receipt of benefits.
  • being a carer usually has a significant financial impact

    • If you are a carer and in need of support, please know that support is available, and let someone know if you’re struggling.

    For clarity, we do not believe the crisis in social care is caused by neglect or inaction on the part of families. It is a funding issue, plain and simple.