Good Practice

Identification of Carers in GP Practices

Resource title: Identification of Carers in GP Practices - A Good Practice Document
Published: 2018    Author: Carers Trust

One of the main obstacles to carers getting the right support is identification – both self-identification and identification by health professionals. This document highlights some of the good practice that has been developed by Carers Trust Network Partners. We hope it will encourage GP practices to look at the ways they identify carers, and enable carers to get the support they need.

Key points

  • There are an estimated seven million unpaid carers in the UK, however not enough carers are likely to be receiving the support they need or are entitled to.
  • One of the main obstacles to carers getting the right support is identification – both self-identification and identification by health professionals.
  • Self-identification can be problematic as many carers, understandably, see their relationship with the person they care for as one of being a parent, child, neighbour, friend or partner and don’t recognise 'carer' as a term they would use.
  • This is why identification by health professionals becomes even more important.

About the resource

Carers Trust’s Raising the voice of carers project worked with local Network Partners to give carers the tools and confidence to campaign on issues that matter to them.