Carer Support Wiltshire is working closely with GP practices across Wiltshire to ensure that carers receive support and good access to services through their local surgery.
Our Wiltshire Investors in Carers GP Accreditation Scheme is funded by Wiltshire Council and the NHS Wiltshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG). It aims to raise awareness of work already being undertaken to support carers in GP practices in Wiltshire as well as acting to encourage further development work.
Carers Leads
Each surgery has a member of staff who is the Carers Lead and takes responsibility for ensuring that other members of staff are aware of carers’ needs and the services available to them locally. That person may also ensure that a carers’ noticeboard is kept up to date and co-ordinate Carers Clinics.
Ask in your local surgery to find out who the Carers Lead is.
Carers Clinics
Many GP surgeries in Wiltshire offer free Carers Clinics. It’s a chance for carers to go along and have some routine health checks such as blood pressure and cholesterol as well as an opportunity to speak to one of our Carer Support Workers and/or someone about finance and benefits.
Being a carer often takes up a lot of time which can often have an effect on your own health without you realising it. Having a routine check-up can be beneficial to you and ensure you’re well enough to look after someone else.
Offering a Carers Clinic is one of the criteria in the Wiltshire Investors in Carers Scheme so we’re hopeful that more and more GP surgeries will make this kind of service available.
Ask in your local surgery to see if they offer Carers Clinics.
The Awards
There are four levels of award: Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Gold Plus with a practice having to qualify for Bronze level, before progressing to the three higher levels.
To meet each award a surgery must meet certain criteria towards supporting carers.
This year (2014-15), 34 practices in Wiltshire have received Wiltshire Investors in Carers awards. Many practices have come up with new initiatives to improve their services to carers and to help raise awareness of carers’ issues.
