Sixty people including carers, health charities and government attended the launch on February 16th of a new online information service for carers, Carers Direct, held at the Coin Street Neighbourhood Centre on London’s South Bank.
David Behan, Director General, Social Care, Local Government and Social Care Partnerships Directorate at the Dept. of Health introduced the launch, which included a live demonstration of Carers Direct by Charles Creswell, Senior Editor at NHS Choices. A lively debate also took place, steered by Dr Philippa Russell, chair of the Standing Commission on Carers, which heard many positive and thoughtful contributions from attendees.
The new on line information service, which went live on January 26th, is designed to provide a single and comprehensive online resource to help carers manage their lives around caring. It includes guidance on the different stages of caring, information for claiming benefits, contact details for local authorities. It also includes video clips of other carers telling their stories and news articles about different conditions and topical issues. There is also a section for young carers. The online service can be accessed via the NHS Choices website. more...
A national telephone advice line for carers goes live on April 1st. Further details will follow next month.