Highlight All The Outstanding Support You Give To Unpaid Family Carers

Nominate your GP surgery or PCT/CHP/LHB in the Simplyhealth Caring Awards 2008

The Princess Royal Trust for Carers and health and well-being group Simplyhealth are looking to celebrate and recognise the top three GP surgeries, the top English Primary Care Trust, and for the first time ever, the top Scottish Community Health Partnership and Welsh Local Health Board, which do their utmost to support unpaid family carers in their communities. The winners will be announced at a conference hosted by The Princess Royal Trust for Carers on 3 November 2008. This is the fifth year of the Simplyhealth Caring Awards which recognises the excellent work that GPs, GP surgeries and health boards are doing for carers up and down the country.

There are six million carers in the UK – one in eight patients - who are looking after a loved-one who is sick or disabled. When it comes to caring, they are probably the GP’s greatest partner. But they also need help from their GP surgeries while caring for their loved-one including: obtaining information about the condition or illness of the cared-for, administering medication and carrying out personal care.

Not surprisingly, unpaid carers often neglect their own health as they are so focused on looking after a loved-one. According to a recent Carers Week survey, up to 77% of carers say that their health is worse-off as a result of caring, while a staggering 95% say they regularly cover up or disguise the fact that their health is suffering in order to continue with their caring responsibilities. GPs have a vital role in encouraging carers to look after their own health and get regular check-ups.

Carole Cochrane, Acting Chief Executive at The Princess Royal Trust for Carers, says: “The Awards have shown us that there are many GP surgeries and PCTs doing fantastic jobs throughout the UK supporting carers in their communities. We are looking forward to hearing from CHPs and LHBs for the first time.

“For these Awards we are looking for surgeries and PCTs, CHPs, and LHBs that have really pushed the boundaries: from implementing excellent continual carer and identification programmes to executing exceptional referral systems, to putting into place flexible appointment systems. This can all make a big difference to carers’ lives.”

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Notes to editors:

If you think your GP surgery or PCT, CHP or LHB is supporting unpaid carers and would like to enter log on to www.carers.org and fill out an application form.

There are three prizes for the Simplyhealth Caring Surgery Award: Gold (£2,000), Silver (£1,000) and Bronze (£750). The Princess Royal Trust for Carers asks that 50% of that money will be used to continue or improve the support the surgery gives to unpaid carers.

There will one winner chosen from each nation for the Simplyhealth Primary Care Trust / Community Health Partnership / Local Health Board Awards.

Judges will be looking for the following within the applications:

• GP surgeries and PCTs/CHPs/LHBs that go way beyond the call of duty

• GP surgeries and PCTs/CHPs/LHBs that have excellent carer support systems in place

• GP surgeries and PCTs/CHPs/LHBs that are developing good systems and have some innovative ideas

The closing date for applications is 10 October 2008.

The Princess Royal Trust for Carers

The Princess Royal Trust for Carers is a national charity that supports over 310,000 carers throughout the UK through a network of Carers' Centres and interactive websites, www.carers.org and www.youngcarers.net.

A carer is someone, who, without payment, provides help and support to a partner, child, relative, friend or neighbour, who could not manage without their help. This could be due to age, physical or mental illness, addiction or disability.

According to the 2001 census there are almost 6 million carers in the UK, 175,000 of whom are under 18.

Unpaid carers save the health and social care services £87 billion a year through caring at home – if they stopped the systems would collapse.

Simplyhealth
Health and well-being group Simplyhealth employs approximately 1300 people with a strong sense of social purpose shared across the organisation. Simplyhealth donates significant amounts to charitable causes each year, as well as supporting personal involvement in the community by individual employees. Simplyhealth is a long-standing supporter of the Trust.

The Group specialises in healthcare schemes and services for individuals, families and companies, which range from cash plans and private medical insurance, to health screening, occupational health and heath retailing.

For further information:
Please contact Sue Allison, Media Relations Executive on 01264 342552
Website: www.simplyhealth.co.uk