A Norwich carer has taken her fight to Westminster in an attempt to get a better deal for carers.
Mrs Maxwell took stories and comments of members of the Chill4Us carers’ website to the shadow minister Stephen O’Brien to read, about the real issues faced by carers every day.
Mrs Maxwell said: ‘We were impressed with Mr O’Brien’s ideas and he kindly gave us over an hour of his time to listen to some of the stories about the circumstances carers face daily.’
‘Our members had also posted their stories and comments on the site and he was genuinely pleased to be given a copy of these and said he would take the time to read them.’
During the meeting, Mr O’Brien set out his plans to help carers. This includes making planned and emergency respite provision a priority and promoting flexible working options for carers.
They would also like to see carers assessed at the same time as the cared-for so their needs are also taken into consideration, for example with regard to fuel poverty.
Another change Mr O’Brien proposed was for the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) to consider the effects on carers when reviewing the cost-effectiveness of treatments or new drugs and whether these should be available for free on the NHS.
He also wants to ensure doctors spend time in care homes as part of their training and create an NHS board and health watch group to manager and monitor services.
A Norwich carer has taken her fight to Westminster in an attempt to get a better deal for carers.
Mrs Maxwell took stories and comments of members of the Chill4Us carers’ website to the shadow minister Stephen O’Brien to read, about the real issues faced by carers every day.
Mrs Maxwell said: ‘We were impressed with Mr O’Brien’s ideas and he kindly gave us over an hour of his time to listen to some of the stories about the circumstances carers face daily.’
‘Our members had also posted their stories and comments on the site and he was genuinely pleased to be given a copy of these and said he would take the time to read them.’
During the meeting, Mr O’Brien set out his plans to help carers. This includes making planned and emergency respite provision a priority and promoting flexible working options for carers.
They would also like to see carers assessed at the same time as the cared-for so their needs are also taken into consideration, for example with regard to fuel poverty.
Another change Mr O’Brien proposed was for the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) to consider the effects on carers when reviewing the cost-effectiveness of treatments or new drugs and whether these should be available for free on the NHS.
He also wants to ensure doctors spend time in care homes as part of their training and create an NHS board and health watch group to manager and monitor services.