Supporting Carers in General Practice
In September and October 2009, the RCGP, in conjunction with the
Princess Royal Trust for Carers delivered a pilot scheme to help
general practitioners and their practices to enhance their support
to carers. The national pilot programme was delivered through a
series of six half-day workshops across England. The events were
chaired by a local GP and delivered by a GP and Carer Support
Professional. Local Carers Organisations also contributed to the
events, providing the local support context for carers.
A copy of the good practice guide 'Supporting
Carers: An action guide for general practitioners and their
teams' was sent to every GP practice in England to
support this initiative. Jointly developed by the RCGP and the
Princess Royal Trust for Carers, this self-assessment toolkit was
designed so that Primary Care Teams can measure themselves against
agreed criteria for services they provide for patients and their
carers, particularly focusing on teamwork and practice
organisation. The guide can be downloaded here
Discussions are currently underway to identify next stage
developments related to this work.