Virtual protest

Rode my bike (every mile counts) to the Vassall Centre this morning to where Carers Support are located. Our pre-CAP (Carers Advisory Partnership) meeting was optionally in person today with lunch and a meeting with the new interim CEO (what a change in the atmosphere - for the better). After lunch we were asked to make placards for Give Carers A Break The link below will explain the placard and I've swapped the background as it was a bit distracting with flip charts. And obviously it wasn't me who took the photo but it's an important message. If you do, or have, supported someone who couldn't manage without you (which Jo says to me almost every day) then you are a carer. And it's time carers were valued properly. Not defined as "economically inactive" whilst saving the taxpayer the equivalent of funding a second NHS.

Give Carers A Break


The estimated economic value of unpaid care in the UK is £184.3 billion per year. This figure represents the combined economic contribution of unpaid carers across England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. This value is equivalent to the combined NHS budget for all four UK nations, highlighting the significant financial contribution of unpaid carers. 


Here's a more detailed breakdown:
£184.3 billion: The total economic value of unpaid care in the UK. 


29% increase: This represents the growth in the value of unpaid care over the past decade (since 2011). 


£162 billion: The estimated value of unpaid care in England and Wales specifically. 


£189 billion: The combined NHS budget across the UK (for comparison). 


£5.8 billion: The value of care in Northern Ireland, according to Centre for Care. 


£15.9 billion: The value of care in Scotland, according to Centre for Care. 



This research, primarily from Carers UK and the Centre for Care, emphasizes the substantial economic contribution of unpaid carers. It also underscores the need for greater support for carers, as their contributions are vital to the functioning of both the health and social care systems and the overall economy.