Carers Week

I attended the Carers Week event in Parliament on 11 June 2018 to celebrate and recognise the vital contribution made by people across the UK who currently provide care and support to a family member or friend who has a disability, illness, mental health problem or who needs extra help as they grow older.

There are 10, 683 carers in Walsall South. Unpaid carers make a huge contribution to our society, providing vital and often hidden support to friends and family members, and it is right that we value them and ensure they have the right support at the right time.

I met with Kate Hall, Head of External Affairs at ‘Nutricia’, which has worked in partnership with Carers UK for over 7 years. In Walsall the Nutricia Homeward service works in partnership with the dietetic service and supports 300 patients who are being tube fed in the community.

Nutricia has developed resources on eating well for carers themselves, but also to help them feel more confident, from a nutrition perspective, in looking after the person they are supporting. To find out more information about the Nutricia Homeward service click here.

At Business Questions on 14 June 2018, I raised that there are 6.5 million carers in the UK, saving the economy £132 billion a year. I asked the Leader of the House for a debate on the future of social care funding.