Carers

Definition of a Carer “If you provide help and support without payment, to your partner, a child, relative, friend or neighbour, who could not manage without your help you are a Carer.”

When you register as a new patient you will be asked if you wish to be recorded as a Carer or if you have a Carer. For more information about services for Carers in this Practice please ask for a Carers information leaflet at Reception. You should find posters and information about services to Carers in the surgery. Please ask at the desk if you can’t find what you are looking for. There is also a small notice board within the waiting room at the surgery with information about the Devon Virtual Carers Centre, and there is also more information about this here, see paragraph below - Devon Virtual Carers Centre Eastern

At the end of December 2011 we identified 275 of our patients as Carers. We are confident that there must be many more, but we need your help now to help us identify them. If you have any friends or relatives who you know are Carers we would like to hear from them.

As a Carer we can probably offer you additional help and support, by arranging for you to have a Carers health and well being appointment with one of our especially trained nurses.

If you have not previously had a Carers check then please let one of the receptionist, nurses or doctors know, so that we can arrange to contact you to discuss what is involved, and arrange an appointment for you. Once you have received your check, you will be offered a further review appointment in six months time.

 What happens in a Carers health and well being check?

Devon County Council and NHS Devon have worked together with carers and voluntary organisations to create a new carers assessment that is a more holistic assessment of your health and wellbeing. Carer’s checks are now being offered in several GP surgeries as well as other venues.

Before the appointment you will be sent an explanatory booklet with some questions to be completed about your health, and the effect of your caring role, an Individual Carer Record and consent sheet. Parts 1-3 of the Carer record can be completed before your appointment, together with parts of the explanatory booklet. If you have difficulty with this then the nurse will help you to complete them at your appointment.

The health check appointment will last for an hour and will focus on information contained in the booklet. During the appointment you may also be offered a vascular check, which is a blood test to check your general health. There is also a section in the Individual Carer Record for a referral to Care direct plus if you and the nurse agree this is appropriate.

Following this check you will be offered an appointment for a review in six months time.

If you have previously had a health and well being check

Then you are not currently eligible for one of the new health checks, however if at any time you have specific concerns and issues about your caring role, any of our clinical staff would be happy to discuss this with you. 

Devon Virtual Carers Centre Eastern – a new service to support Carers in this area Tel.08456434435 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday and 9am to 1pm Saturday

This is not a physical building but can provide a range of local carer support including:

1. A dedicated telephone helpline

2. A team of Carer Support Workers

3. Access to training opportunities for carers

4. Access to breaks (flexible breaks grants, take-a-break)

5. Specific services to young carers, and support that meets the special needs of carers of people with mental health needs and learning disabilities, and carers in Black Minority Ethnic communities.

Carer's services and support

Website of the Coleridge Medical Centre, Ottery St Mary

Coleridge Medical Centre
Canaan Way
Ottery St Mary
Devon EX11 1EQ

tel: 01404 814447
fax: 01404 816716