The impact of caring on peoples’ physical and mental health across England remains high and is worse for those from some groups, according to the latest data analysis by Carers UK. [i]

The findings are revealed in the report ‘Carers Health and experiences of primary care, the charity’s examination of unpaid carers’ responses to the 2021 GP Patient Survey. This annual research is commissioned independently by NHS England to identify patient experiences and general health. Of the 850,000 responses, nearly 1 in 5, (18%) have some unpaid caring responsibilities. [ii]

The analysis found that:

• 60% of carers report a long-term health condition or disability compared to 50% of non-carers
• 70% of lesbian, gay, or bisexual carers report a long-term condition compared to 60% of straight carers [iii]
• Carers from some backgrounds were less likely to say the healthcare professional they saw recognised and understood any mental health needs they had. Whilst 86% of white carers said they felt they did, this dropped to 78% of black carers and 76% of Asian carers.[iv]
• 36% of lesbian, gay, or bisexual carers have a mental health condition compared with 13% of heterosexual carers – nearly treble the rate

The findings build on the charity’s ongoing work to understand the adverse impact of the pandemic on unpaid carers. [v]

The full report can be found here