A National Care Service must care for carers

We welcome the focus on ensuring cross-party consensus on designing and embedding a sustainable National Care Service. However, we are concerned about the timeframe for the commission to make its recommendations. It seems we are still years away for new approaches and policies to be funded and implemented that would make a real difference to the millions of unpaid carers who are struggling right now with their caring responsibilities – to the extent that their own mental and physical health is being impacted.

We look forward to engaging with the commission. We hope that the ambition is not just about keeping people out of hospital and at home, but is truly focused on the provision of appropriate social care and support for all who need it.

Dementia prevalence is on the increase. While there is hope ahead for future treatments, at the moment people living with dementia are reliant on family members to support and care for them as their condition progresses. We know that dementia carers are reaching crisis points, some regularly, as they struggle to cope with ever changing challenges without support.

A future National Care Service, must be a properly resourced and funded service which cares for carers as well as those who need direct support and care themselves. Helen Pyper, Head of Policy and Campaigns, Dementia Carers Count