Buckinghamshire Investors in Carers GP Standard

There are over 52,000 adult carers in Buckinghamshire, nearly one in ten of the adult population. This means that typically one tenth of GP practices’ adult patients are carers.

Carers often don’t recognise themselves as such and don’t usually ask for help or support for themselves. This despite the fact that carers are more likely to have psychological and physical health problems than the population generally, particularly depression, anxiety and back problems.

It is therefore important to identify and support carers for their own health and wellbeing and in turn this will help them to carry on in their caring role.

Buckinghamshire Investors in Carers GP Standard is an initiative launched by Carers Bucks to recognise GP Practices which are making good progress in their support of carers.

The aim of Buckinghamshire Investors in Carers GP Standard is to:

  • acknowledge work already being undertaken to support carers by local General Practices
  • support General Practices to refer carers to Carers Bucks
  • provide an accredited framework of good practice to help General Practices develop carers support

An Accreditation Panel will oversee the scheme and award accreditation certificates which will be valid for two years.

Evidence

The evidence that a General Practice will need to provide in order to achieve the Investors in Carers Award is outlined towards the end of this document. The main factors are that the practice should identify 2% of their patients who are carers and offer them some enhanced/flexible services to support them.

Applying for Accreditation

Once the evidence has been collated submissions can be made to:

Investors in Carers GP Standard,
Carers Bucks,
Ardenham Court,
Oxford Road,
Aylesbury
Buckinghamshire,
HP19 8HT

or email to: mail@carersbucks.org

The Accreditation Panel will meet to review the evidence and either confirm that the standard has been attained, or provide comment and advice if it has not.

If the standard has been attained, a certificate will be awarded, which is valid for two years from date of issue. This certificate can be displayed in the practice, and the logo can be used on practice correspondence, literature, websites etc. Practices achieving the Standard will be invited to an award ceremony.

Contacts

If you would like further information on the scheme, please contact Lucy Martin, Adult Carers Service Manager.

Buckinghamshire Investors in Carers GP Standard Awards

The GP surgeries that have been awarded a Buckinghamshire Investors in Carers GP Standard Award are:

  • Bourne End and Wooburn Green Medical Centre
  • Haddenham Medical Centre
  • John Hampden Surgery
  • Poplar Grove Practice
  • The Practice Prospect House
  • Southmead Surgery
  • The Swan Practice