As carers, you may spend a lot of time taking your cared for to the GP or to attend hospital appointments. We have a support worker dedicated to supporting you in both of these environments.

Carers GP Support

On average, 1 in 10 patients at each GP Practice are carers. Our Carers GP Liaison Project aims to ensure you are better supported by your GP Practice. Enfield Carers Centre is working hard in Enfield to help improve the support that carers receive from their GP surgery. Happily, the majority of the 49 surgeries in Enfield are working with us and should have information and leaflets about the Carers Centre on display. We have also trained 8 Carers Champions (staff working at different surgeries) who have agreed to help identify, support and signpost carers to the centre.

Acknowledging you not just as a patient, but as a patient who is a carer will mean that your GP is on the lookout for early signs that you’re possibly taking on too much at the expense of your own health needs.

Prevention is also better than cure as we all know. So, if you receive regular free health checks and an annual flu jab, you can avoid some longer-term problems, if these are spotted earlier. Most GPs will be happy to arrange these for carers. If you’re having difficulty getting a free health check, the centre often arranges Healthy Living Events where a registered nurse is available to conduct free health checks for carers. Contact the centre to find out when the next event is taking place.

Enfield Carers Centre hosts regular GP Forums where carers can get together to discuss any issues or problems they are experiencing at their GP Surgery.  Whilst we can’t promise that we can solve them all, our GP Support Workers will do their best to help liaise with staff at your surgery to overcome the issues.

If you have a problem with your GP Practice or wish to tell us about a practice that has supported you as a Carer please call Mark Warwick on 020 8366 3677 or email him on: healthcaresupport@enfieldcarers.org

Health Checks

We know that looking after your own health is not always top of your list of priorities and that is why ECC works in partnership with local GP Practices and health centres to deliver Carers Health Checks across the borough.

As part of our Carers Primary Care Project, ECC works in partnership with many of the GP Practices across the borough to ensure that you look after your own health and not just the health of your cared for.

At the GP health checks, a member of the ECC support team will be present to talk to you about your caring role and put a support plan together with you.

You will be given a health questionnaire to complete, click here to see the questionnaire.Carers__health_Self_assessment_form.pdf

You will then been seen by a nurse or health worker at the practice where you will be given a health check and be able to discuss health concerns such as :

  • Weight management 
  • Smoking cessation
  • Blood pressure
  • Cholesterol Levels
  • Diet and exercise
  • Sleep problems
  • Anxiety and depression

The nurse or health worker will refer you for a full GP appointment if they feel this is necessary.

ECC also runs healthy living days and occasional health check sessions at the Centre.

For more information keep an eye out for our newsletter or call: 020 8366 3677 or email: info@enfieldcarers.org

Remember, if you don’t take care of yourself you cannot take care of your loved one!