MP Backs Carers Project

4.21.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Mon 19th Apr 2004

Vincent Cable, MP, this week visited the Carers Centre in Twickenham, part of the Princess Royal Trust for Carers network and met the manager (Melissa Wilks) and staff. The centre has identified 900 carers in the borough and has regular contact with them, providing information and support. (There are an estimated 20,000 carers in the borough of whom 3000 are under eighteen, usually caring for a brother of sister.)

Vincent Cable, who has taken up carers' issues in parliament and locally, said that: "carers save the tax-payer tens of billions of pounds, if they left their loved ones to be cared for by the state. They deserve much more support than they get. Essential services like day respite centres struggle to raise funds because they are not a statutory service".

Vincent Cable has taken up with ministers the "inconsistent and unhelpful" attitude of some local hospitals towards carers. I have come across cases where carers are happy to accompany their sick relatives to hospital and relieve over worked nurses of the non-medical aspects of care; but are then rebuffed by the hospital. Other hospitals are much more enlightened. The government should be giving guidance to hospitals on how to tap this resource".