Almost half of carers have developed a mental or physical health condition

Almost half of UK carers have had a mental or physical health condition develop or become worse since taking on caring responsibilities, which is an estimated 10.7 million people.

To mark the start of Carers Week, Carers UK surveyed over 2,000 public members. This year’s theme is ‘Caring About Equality’.

It found that 58% of carers say they face disadvantages in caring for their health, and 40% of those who are currently caring have cancelled a medical appointment, test, scan, treatment, or therapy because of their caring roles.

A higher proportion of female current and former carers said they face disadvantages with their health compared with males (64% compared with 52%).

Carers are missing out on medical care

The research found that 44% of carers had cancelled their medical appointments, saying they couldn’t find appointments at a time they could attend, 30% said that they didn’t have the support they needed to attend, and 24% were unable to find affordable, available replacement care services.

Helen Walker, Chief Executive of Carers UK, said: “Sadly, caring for someone often comes at a personal cost and carers still face significant inequalities. If you are caring for someone, it’s likely that you will experience poorer health, financial strain, challenges accessing employment and education opportunities and be at greater risk of loneliness and isolation.

“It can be a negative cycle for many carers who experience worsening physical or mental health and are unable to take a break to look after themselves. The impact of this can be long-lasting, but we know that change is possible – from the Government investing more in support for unpaid carers and the NHS having clear measures of help for carers, to rights at work and support within education.

“So often carers feel invisible and overlooked, but we can all make a difference by caring about equality and taking action to recognise and support unpaid carers.”

Alison Bloomer

Alison Bloomer is Editor of Learning Disability Today. She has over 25 years of experience writing for medical journals and trade publications. Subjects include healthcare, pharmaceuticals, disability, insurance, stock market and emerging technologies. She is also a mother to a gorgeous 13-year-old boy who has a learning disability.

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