Additional support for unpaid carers at Hastings GP practices

​Are you looking after someone who couldn’t manage without your help and live in Hastings?  Are you registered at Churchwood Medical Practice, Hastings Old Town Surgery, Warrior Square Surgery or High Glades Medical Centre?

If so, Care for the Carers, the Carers Centre for unpaid carers in East Sussex, is providing additional support for carers in Hastings, by working closely with these medical practices. This new initiative will help the practices to proactively identify and register carers quickly so that carers can be given the appropriate healthcare and support.

Carers who are referred from the medical practices will be given immediate crisis support where needed, one-to-one advice and information by experienced Care for the Carers’ Support Workers, currently by phone or online. Information and guidance covers all carers topics and issues such as where to get help with benefits, carers rights, local services available and help with emergency respite and accessing social care and health care services. Additional support provided for carers includes counselling for adult and young carers, carers groups to connect with other carers and grants for replacement care.

Help for carers

You can ask to be put onto a carers register, and there is information available at the practice, as well as on their website. Carers can be booked in for health checks, flu jabs and COVID-19 vaccinations when they are available. 

Free carers activities

All Hastings carers can take part in a variety of free carer activities organised by Care for the Carers. Activities include online cookery sessions, wellness and wellbeing activities, online bingo, grow your own herb garden and pampering spa products delivered through your letterbox! Find out more about the activities here and to reserve your place, contact us.

Are you an unpaid carer?

As an unpaid carer, you may not have informed your practice that you are looking after someone and in turn may not have been asked if you are a carer.  Many carers are hidden and do not realise that they are carers, as well as not being aware that there is support and help available.  You could be looking after a family member, friend or neighbour who due to illness, disability, a mental health problem or an addiction could not cope without your support. If you look after someone, find out more about caring here.

Care for the Carers provides support for all unpaid carers in Hastings and across East Sussex, including carers from BAME communities. Please get in touch with us if you need help or support. Find out more about the support we offer here and contact us here.

It is estimated that there are over 10,000 carers in Hastings, with 34,000 additional carers caring for someone in East Sussex because of the pandemic. By identifying carers promptly and offering the right support at the right time, health and wellbeing issues and crisis situations can be reduced. This project aims to address both local health inequalities, and those exacerbated by the pandemic.