New Carer Forum coming soon

The first Carer Strategy Group meeting will open on Carer’s Rights Day on Friday 25 November.

Wiltshire Health and Care has made a strong commitment to ensuring that they engage with patients and their families and carers.  Following the launch of the Carer Award Accreditation Scheme in June, they are creating a Carer Strategy Group to give carers the opportunity to help address some of the inequalities that exist in working with carers who may be underrepresented or seldom heard.

They would like to work with local carers to help them shape and inform the design and delivery of their services, ensuring that the carer’s voice is heard.

Carers are at the front line of providing support and know first-hand what works and, more importantly, what doesn’t work as they have a vital relationship with the person that they are caring for.  The role of the informal (unpaid) carer is becoming increasingly important in our society. Many patients and service users are supported by relatives, or sometimes friends or neighbours, who provide vital care and help.

Caring crosses generations: typical ‘kin’ carer relationships include people looking after partners; parents looking after children with long-term needs; children and teenagers looking after parents or grandparents; and adults looking after elderly relatives who may have long-term conditions such as dementia, mental health or neurological diseases, or frailty.

They recognise that carers have a close relationship with the people that they care for. Through their caring role, they develop extensive experience of healthcare services and what works well or can be improved upon. A carer’s perspective would be of great value to Wiltshire Health and Care in the design and delivery of their services.

If you, or someone you know would be interested in participating or would like more information, please get in touch.

Telephone: 01249 456565

Email: ask.wiltshirehealthandcare@nhs.net

Postal address: Anne-Marie Nuth, Wiltshire Health and Care Chippenham Community Hospital Rowden Hill, Chippenham Wiltshire SN15 2AJ