How to get help from the NHS as a carer

Reviewed by: Dr Jackie Gray, Public Health Expert and Retired GP
(Carents Trusted Reviewer Programme – Last reviewed January 2026)

Start by telling your GP surgery that you’re a carer. They can register you, which helps them understand your situation and connect you with extra support.

Your GP can:

• Put you in touch with your local council for a carer’s support assessment

• Offer help if you’re struggling emotionally or practically

• Share information about local groups and services

• Make sure you’re offered flu and COVID vaccinations

• Help you take part in care planning for your loved one

Registering as a carer also means your own health needs are less likely to be overlooked.

If you’re caring for an ageing parent, relative, or friend, let their GP surgery and hospital teams know you’re involved. With their permission, the medical team can share updates and include you in care planning.

You might:

• Be copied into letters or updates

• Join appointments or home visits

• Get phone calls from doctors or nurses about their care

Confidentiality always comes first, but if you have legal power of attorney, you can be involved in decision-making more directly.

Caring can be rewarding, but it can also wear you down. Many carers reach a point where they feel burnt out, isolated, or guilty for feeling tired. This is called carer burnout, and it’s common.

If you’re exhausted, not sleeping, or feeling resentful, it’s a sign you need help, not a failure. Talk to your GP about local respite care, counselling, or carer support groups.
Even a short break can make a difference.
You can’t pour from an empty cup.

Every surgery is different, but many have carer leads, carers’ champions, care coordinators or other staff who can guide you. Increasingly social prescribers are helping GP surgeries and carers.  Ask at reception or check the surgery’s website for details on:

• Carer registration forms

• Local carer groups and support lines

• Flexible appointment times if you’re juggling care

• Staff who can help you or your parent(s)

Getting recognised as a carer helps both you and the person you look after, it’s a way of saying your work matters.

As an unpaid carer, you may be entitled to financial or practical help. This can include:

• Carer’s Allowance or Carer’s Credit

• Help with energy bills or council tax

• Free training and respite breaks

• Support from local charities and carer organisations

Ask your local council or GP surgery for advice on applying. Many carers miss out on this support simply because they don’t know it exists.

It can be hard to explain to family members what caring really involves. Some might not see how much you do. Others may assume you can “manage fine.”

Try being open about how caring affects you — physically, emotionally, and financially. Use “I” statements: “I’m finding the evenings tough,” or “I need help with appointments.”
These conversations aren’t easy, but they can bring understanding and shared responsibility.
You deserve support from your family, not just from services.

Reviewed by Dr Jackie Gray, January 2026