GP Outreach
Very often carers put their own health and needs low down on their list of priorties. Statistically many Carers have poorer health and are subject to more physical and mental stress than the average person. With this in mind the Government has included services to Carers in the latest GP contact.
For some time now our Carers Centre has been working closely with West Lancashire Primary Care Trust and local GPs in order to highlight the needs of Carers and to explain the problems they may encounter due to their caring responsibilities.
For the past 3 years Mary Ward has been attending West Lancashire health centres and Leyland House Surgery in Ormskirk once a month, to identify and talk with Carers and help with information and practical support.
Where it is not practical for Mary to attend in person, such as in smaller GP surgeries, practice staff have kindly agreed to tell Carers about The Princess Royal Trust West Lancs Carers Centre, hand out our information packs and register Carers on our database. They can then receive our support, newsletters and other useful information.
Recently many more surgeries have begun to work with us to support their patients who are Carers. Mary is presently contacting the few remaining surgeries in West Lancashire with whom we'd like to work with. She is delighted with the response so far and is very hopeful all GPs will soon be working with the Carers Centre. In the near future we hope to formalise the co-operation with GPs by means of a written protocol and to acknowledge those practices which have shown a commitment to Carers in West Lancs.
The new GP contact has a Carers element, which asks GPs to do 3 things for Carers:
To make a note of the patients who have Caring responsibilites.
To advise Carers that they have a right to a Carers Assessment from Social Services.
To inform Carers of support services for carers in their area.
Does your GP know you are a Carer?
Help your GP Surgery to help and support you, by letting them know.
Contact: Please contact Mary Ward 01695 737777 or email maryw@wlcvs.org if you would like more information
Carers Network Member