Are You a Carer?

Do you look after your husband, wife, parent, child or neighbour? Caring is often something we do for our loved ones, without thinking about it and without realising we are a carer.

A carer is anyone, including children and adults who look after a family member, partner or friend who needs help because of their illness, frailty, disability, a mental health problem or an addiction and cannot cope without their support. The care they give is unpaid.

Caring can be very rewarding, but without support it can also have a negative impact on a person’s own health and wellbeing, their finances, and social opportunities. It is important to know what support is available to you from us as your GP surgery and from our partners Carers Support West Sussex.

We know there are over 70,000 carers in West Sussex, that’s 8% of the population, and we want to ensure that any carers in our patient community are registered with us and supported.

Register with us as a carer

Registering with us is simple and means that we can offer relevant support to your situation. Our Carers lead, Tanya King is available to provide help and information and to assist you in registering with us.

If you would like to join our register of carers, please call in to reception where you can pick a form.

With your consent we can also refer you on to Carers Support West Sussex, who can offer tailored support to your needs.

Registering with us will enable us to offer you:

• Access to the medical information / correspondence of the person you care for (with their consent).
• Access to the winter Flu vaccine.
• An annual health check or early screening for any health issues you might be experiencing.
• Help to make your GP appointments as accessible as possible.
• Information on planning for emergencies.
• With your consent we can also refer you to Carers Support West Sussex. Find out more about what they offer here.