26% of those on NHS waiting lists are carers - more appointments alone won't solve that, Carers Trust warns

Responding to the Prime Minister's speech on NHS reform, Carers Trust's CEO, Kirsty McHugh, said:

"If the Prime Minister is serious about bringing down NHS waiting lists, he needs to focus on supporting unpaid carers. They make up a staggering 26% of people on waiting lists in England and help keep the people they care for off those lists in the first place. Carers are propping up the current system and, if their health fails, so does their ability to provide the care which the state relies on so heavily. More appointments alone won’t solve that problem.

"While delivering more care in communities and in homes is welcome, this will inevitably require more of carers. Many are already at breaking point. With so much concern about the capacity of the NHS workforce to deliver these plans, this will heap even more pressure on the 6 million people looking after friends and family at home. Local services for carers have seen real terms cuts of 13% since 2021/22, while state expenditure on carers fell by 6% last year. A failure to reverse that trend would spell disaster for the NHS and social care."