WaMH in PC's blog

Download our latest Information Sheet - 13 The Carers Strategies (Wales) Measure 2010

This new legislation covers carers of all ages - including young carers - and our latest Information Sheet outlines its key objectives.

The Carers Strategies (Wales) Measure 2010 requires Local Health Boards, Velindre NHS Trust and the Wales Ambulance Trust to draw up a strategy to ensure unpaid family carers receive essential information and are consulted about the care of the people they look after.

The draft strategies have been submitted to Welsh Government and are awaiting approval for implementation but you can find out more by reading and downloading Information Sheet 13.

Like all our Information Sheets this latest document aims to help raise awareness about and improve mental health services across the country.

Each of our sheets have been developed to provide valuable information, training and support tools on primary care mental health in Wales.

Their publication comes under the set objectives of our Gold Standard Project which has set the goal of providing good communication on mental health issues .

We have a range of other Information Sheets which are all available to download and view on and from our Information Sheets page.

If you have any questions about Information Sheet 13 or trouble viewing or downloading it please contact our Project Manager Lesley Hills via email at lhills@rcgp.org.uk or on 029 2050 4516.

Carers Wales is a charity set up to help the 350,000-plus people in Wales who care for family or friends. 

According to Carers Wales, at some point almost every one of us will be involved in looking after an older relative, sick friend or disabled family member with carers providing 96% of all community care across the country.

Without carers, the Welsh NHS would collapse as it would be left to face a £7.7 billion care bill it cannot afford.

However, caring also takes its toll on carers' own personal finances, health, career, family and social life with many forced to give up work to care and rely on low-level benefits, forcing them into poverty.

In return many carers may face, isolation, worry and get little or no recognition of support for what they do which is where Carers Wales can help.

The organisation supports carers by providing information and advice about caring and helps them make the most of their finances, juggle their career and caring lives and offer them a listening ear with support when they need it.

On a wider scale, the charity campaigns for change to make life better for carers and the people they look after, influencing policy through its research based on carers' real-life experiences.

Carers Wales is part of Carers UK which runs a 24/7 website forum where carers can talk to others in a similar situation and get help from those who truly know how they feel.

It also runs an adviceline - open from 10am to 12pm and 2pm to 4pm on Wednesdays and Thursdays - available on 0808 808 7777.

We decided to highlight the work of Carers Wales because on Friday we will be publishing our latest Information Sheet which concentrates on the subject of carers and the impacts of the The Carers Strategies (Wales) Measure 2010.

Please return to our website on Friday where you will be able to download our latest Information Sheet and find out more about caring across Wales.

Medication is one form of treatment which can help relieve some of the symptoms of mental illness and there's a new website to answer all your questions about these different types of drugs.

The free Mental Health and Medication Wales website has been created to help patients, carers and professionals across Wales make informed decisions about mental health conditions, treatments and medications.

The site is a source of accurate, simple and helpful information to help improve your understanding of mental illness and improve diagnosis, treatment and support for those affected.

The site is split up into a variety of helpful sections which answer all your important questions about different types of medication explaining their different side effects and interactions with other medication, food and drink.

You can search for information about medication by category and by name and the site also contains sections about how to get the best out of your GP as well as a comprehensive library containing printable leaflets on a long list of mental health medications.

All its contents are independent and quality assured and written by specialist pharmacists, based on the best-available evidence.

Access to the site has been provided by National Centre for Mental Health (NCMH) and Bipolar Education Programme Cymru and is endorsed by The College of Mental Health Pharmacy.

For further information please visit the Mental Health and Medication Wales site. Alternatively, for further links to other helpful mental health organisations and helplines across Wales please visit our Helplines and Links section.