Supporting Carers

Sunderland Carers Centre working with GP practices to improve the health and wellbeing of
Carers.

Sunderland Clinical Commissioning Group, Sunderland Carers Centre and GP Practices have
worked together over the past three years to implement a Carers Improvement Scheme
(CIS). As part of the CIS, GP practices were financially supported by Sunderland Clinical
Commissioning Group (SCCG) to identify Carers. Although the CIS has now come to an end,
GP Practices have agreed to continue with their actions to identify and support Carers.

The actions taken as part of this initiative are;

1. A Carers Lead was identified in the practice (this could be any member of practice
staff).
2. The lead attended a series of workshops that were developed and delivered within
Sunderland Carers Centre.
3. The lead was to inform the rest of the practice and its staff, how they could identify
and give support to Carers.
4. Patients who were Carers were identified and placed on a Carers register.
5. Patients on the Carers register are given information where they can receive
support. They are also entitled to receive an annual health check and a flu jab.
6. Carers are also given appointments that are at times that are appropriate to their
needs as a Carer where possible
7. As part of the CIS, a direct referral system is in place with Sunderland Carers Centre.
The Practice communicates contact details and services of the Carers Centre to
patients by posters, leaflets and on the practice website.

Details of the Carer Improvement Scheme as carried out by Pallion Family practice.
There are practice leads including a GP and 2 members of support staff who are responsible for
raising the needs of Carers to Practice Staff,

Induction Training is undertaken by new members of staff who are engaged with Carers and
updates on support for Carers are provided to all staff in specially organised events.

Carers are identified by Carers themselves, admin, nursing staff and clinicians and then added to a
register.

A direct referral system is in place with Sunderland Carers Centre. If a GP or other practice
team member thinks that a Carer would benefit from support including a Carers
assessment, then with the permission of the patient the GP or other practice team member
can make a referral via fax to the Carers Centre. On receiving the referral, Sunderland Carers
Centre will contact the carer to discuss support options

The Carers register is reviewed monthly and names of carers added to the register when they have
been identified.
Young carers are identified by schools and parents and added to the register as required.

Carers are invited into the surgery annually for health checks and offered flu vaccines when
available.

Carers who are identified as struggling are discussed at clinical meetings and MDTs. They are then
signposted to the most appropriate services.

There is a whole family approach to identify carers in a family.

Changes in circumstances of Carers are managed in consultations with Carers or within Carers
reviews

Advice leaflets (also available as easy read documents) and posters are available with contact details
of the Carers Centre and the services on offer. There is further information for Carers on the NHS
Carers Direct web site see link below. This includes definitions of a family Carer. Contact details are
on Posters on waiting room walls, also clinicians and nurses have Carers leaflets in treatment rooms.

Opportunities are given to the Carers Centre to set up stalls in the waiting area of the Practice to
advertise their services. This occurs at regular intervals.

Pallion Family Practice - Carers Direct.url