Unpaid Carers

Baroness Pitkeathley Excerpts

Wednesday 15th October 2025 Lords Chamber

Asked by

[Baroness Pitkeathley]

To ask His Majesty’s Government whether they are taking steps to ensure the NHS gives more support to unpaid carers.

[Baroness in Waiting/Government Whip (Baroness Blake of Leeds) (Lab)]

My Lords, we recognise the vital contribution of unpaid carers and are committed to improving support through the NHS and social care. The 10-year health plan sets out how we will systematically capture data on unpaid carers, ensuring recognition and support and involving them in care planning. The plan commits to introducing a My Carer feature on the NHS app, enabling carers to manage appointments and engage with clinical teams, improving experience for carers and for those they support.

[Baroness Pitkeathley (Lab)]

I thank my noble friend for that Answer. It is indeed good news that the 10-year plan is considering the needs of carers, but the latest survey from Carers UK shows that carers’ rights are being ignored when the person they care for is discharged from hospital. Only 14% of the carers surveyed were asked about their ability to provide care after discharge—and those rights, as some in this House will remember, were hard won for carers. Ignoring carers’ rights in this way is not only against the law but very short sighted: if carers really break down and cannot provide care, it results in the readmission of the person they look after.

[Baroness Blake of Leeds (Lab)]

I thank my noble friend for her long-standing commitment to the cause of unpaid carers and for contributing to strengthening their rights under the Health and Care Act 2022. I reassure her and the House that the Government recognise the concerns raised in the recent Carers UK report. The Hospital Discharge and Community Support Guidance states that NHS bodies and local authorities have a duty to involve parents and carers, including young carers, at the earliest opportunity in discharge planning for adults who are likely to need care and support. The Care Quality Commission is assessing local authority performance against the Care Act 2014. If the CQC identifies that a local authority has failed or is failing to involve carers in discharge planning, the Secretary of State can intervene.