- In January 2019, NHS England published its Long Term Plan. Among its recommendations for making the NHS fit for the future is their commitment to ‘encourage the national adoption of carer’s passports’.
- Also part of the NHS’s Long Term Plan, there is the aim to build a more carer-friendly NHS by launching the Quality Markers framework for primary care to better identify and support carers locally, as well as improve adoption of carer passports. If a GP practice promotes or uses a Carer Passport, this counts as evidence towards the Quality Markers which, in turn, can be used as positive evidence for the Care Quality Commission.
- Our health and social care services rely heavily on support provided by carers, with the contribution they make currently estimated to be worth £132 billion a year.
- The Government’s mandate to NHS England (2017/18) sets out a commitment to identify and support carers.
- In 2014, NHS England published its Commitment to Carers, which includes raising the profile of carers, person-centred coordinated care, and education and training.
- Over a third (36%) of carers rated hospitals as carer friendly, whilst almost a quarter (24%) said their hospital was not carer friendly and 13% found their hospital the least carer friendly service in their community. (Building Carer Friendly Communities, Carers Week, 2015)
- Almost a quarter (21%) of carers said their hospital does not recognise their caring role. (Building Carer Friendly Communities, Carers Week, 2016)
- Six out of ten carers (61%) said the lack of support for them had a negative impact on their health. (Building Carer Friendly Communities, Carers Week, 2015)
