Local hospitals strengthen commitment to unpaid carers
Unpaid carers play a vital role in our communities—often quietly, often invisibly—caring for family members, partners, friends or neighbours who couldn’t manage without their help.
We’ve been amplifying their voices and using what they’ve told us to shape change where it matters most—starting with our hospitals.
Making a real impact for unpaid carers
Influenced how hospitals commit to carers
We’ve worked with York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to influence how they recognise and involve unpaid carers. By sharing carers’ real experiences—what they need, what’s missing, and what matters—we’ve helped shape and improve each Trust’s carers charter.
These charters set out how hospitals promise to work with and support carers. We made sure they reflect the practical and emotional realities of being an unpaid carer, so hospitals can offer better support to the people who support others.
The South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trist carers charter is especially important for residents in North Yorkshire, particularly those who use The Friarage Hospital in Northallerton and The James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough.
Making commitments clearer and more accessible
We’ve helped simplify the language in both Trusts’ carers charters, making them easier to read, understand, and use. It’s important that every unpaid carer—regardless of age, background, or experience—can access the support available to them.
Creating a shared identity for carers
Together with unpaid carers, local support organisations, and hospital partners, we co-developed a shared visual identity for the carers commitment. This includes a new logo, colour palette and messaging that reflect carers' voices and experiences.
This new identity helps carers feel recognised and connected. It also builds a stronger sense of community and helps services promote support in a consistent, visible way.
Improving access and visibility
We’ve supported the idea of a single, recognisable “carers brand” to help carers quickly identify relevant services and information. We’re also exploring practical tools—like a carers identification card—to make support easier to access in day-to-day life, whether in hospitals, pharmacies, or GP surgeries.
What local hospitals promise carers
If someone you care for is admitted to hospital, local NHS hospitals typically commit to:
- Ensuring you have a named nurse or contact person
- Listening to your knowledge about the person you care for
- Working with you as a partner in care
- Involving you in decisions about their treatment and care (and explaining clearly if this isn’t possible)
- Keeping your personal information safe and confidential
- Training staff to understand the role and value of carers
- Taking your feedback seriously
- Signposting you to carer support groups and services
- Including you in planning for safe and appropriate discharge
Why this matters
Unpaid carers do an incredible job, often with very little recognition or formal support. Many people don’t even see themselves as carers—they’re simply doing what they feel is right for a loved one. But the emotional, physical and financial impact of caring can be significant.
In North Yorkshire alone, there are over 53,700 unpaid carers, with the time they give ranging from a few hours a week to full-time support. The number of carers also varies by area—from 89 per 1,000 people in Selby to nearly 194 per 1,000 in Scarborough, Whitby and Ryedale.
This work is helping ensure that carers—wherever they are in the county—feel more valued, better understood, and better supported. It’s about changing not just policies, but attitudes: recognising that carers are crucial partners in health and care, not just visitors or bystanders.
Your voice matters
We will continue to listen to carers, work alongside them, and help services build on these commitments. If you’re an unpaid carer in North Yorkshire and want to share your experiences or ideas, please get in touch.
