Govt to address carer concerns

Gordon Brown says he will listen to carers' concerns in this year's forthcoming government strategy review.

Yesterday saw the close of a consultation on how to improve the lives of Britain's six million carers marked by an event attended by ministers.

Over 1,700 submissions have been received and the government intends to work through them before unveiling its carers' strategy later in the year.

"Britain's carers are an immense force and I want to thank them for the tremendous work they do, especially given the huge challenges and pressures they face," Mr Brown said.

"We know that supporting carers is not just the right thing to do, but vital to ensuring the most vulnerable people in our communities have the care they need when they need it."

Health secretary Alan Johnson, describing carers as the "hidden heroes of society", said he hoped to build on progress already made in the forthcoming strategy.

A national helpline will be launched this summer while local authorities have been given £25 million for short-term cover for carers in emergencies.

The consultation's close follows concerns expressed yesterday that many people are struggling with the limited nature of NHS coverage for carers.

Carers UK chief executive Imelda Redmond told BBC1's Breakfast programme yesterday: "Every day we get calls from people completely shocked because they didn't know they had to pay for it, that it's actually very difficult to find and there's an incredibly complicated system to navigate."

Ms Redmond indicated that many people "assume" the availability of an "NHS-type" service for the provision of care for their relatives.

"But there isn't. It's much more complicated than that," she added, saying numerous companies offer social care services in an "out-of-date" system.