With 77% of carers saying that their health has suffered as a direct result of caring responsibilities, it was made clear to Ivan Lewis at Monday's opening debate for Carers' Week that much is needed from the government's new strategy for carers launched today. Chaired by Jenni Murray and with an invited audience of carers, Lewis was accompanied on the panel of the Question Time-style debate in London by Stephen O'Brien, the shadow minister for health, Lynne Berry, the chief executive of the WRVS (Women's Royal Voluntary Service) and Pam Ferris, the vice-president of the Princess Royal Trust for Carers.
No direct reference was made to the sad figures on health issues announced to coincide with Carers' Week following a survey of 2,000 carers in February and March this year, nor those that revealed how little time carers can expect to take off. Nevertheless questions were varied and covered the perennial difficulties in finding out what support is already available, emergency replacement care and problems in obtaining a valid carer assessment.
Unsurprisingly, Ivan Lewis was careful not to divulge details of today's announcement and as audience participation was limited to initial questions, no open debate was able to entice him to say more than planned. However, he was keen to stress that future support should be personalised and tailored to individual needs and that the strategy is based on detailed, countrywide consultations with carers. The promised introduction of a comprehensive first stop information service was also mentioned: an internet and telephone service that is easily available for carers to discover where to go for further help should be up and running soon.
It was generally agreed that carers are undervalued and that much still needs to be done to make the responsibility shared across the community rather than remain the family burden it has been to date. But, Lewis argued, that change can only happen through public demand.
There can be little doubt about Lewis's desire to improve the lot of carers but, although eloquent, the other panel members offered scant opposition. Indeed, O'Brien was embarrassed by how much he agreed with the minister and no mention was made of how little appears to have changed for carers since Tony Blair's original carers' strategy back in 1997. There was only sympathy for the woman who asked why it had recently taken over four months for her husband to have an occupational therapy assessment or get hold of a wheelchair.
Chatting with some of the invited carers after the event, it was apparent that while pleased to have been able to make their voices heard by decision-makers, they wondered if it would make any difference. But with the rapidly growing number of people having first-hand experience of caring and so many of them consequently suffering from ill health, perhaps Ivan Lewis is right in that change will be enforced by public need. Unlike a few years ago, at least the plight of carers is now firmly on the government agenda and even if the latest strategy doesn't offer all the answers it should be a firm beginning.
