Parliament hears our call for a right to a care supporter

This week, on 9 March 2022, we went to Parliament with our call for a new legal right to maintain contact across care and health settings. Our cross-party event took the voices of people directly impacted by isolation and separation into the corridors of power. We received overwhelming support from across the political spectrum for our call for a right to a ‘care supporter’. This would give people who need care access to a relative or friend who can help them when they need it, wherever they need it – such as in hospitals, care homes or GP surgeries.

Speakers at our event in Parliament
© Daily Express

MPs heard from people using services and relatives on the devastating impact of being kept apart over the past two years. Ann, one of our helpline clients, shared the frustration of being unable to support her mum, who would call her up to 30 times a day telling her she needed help or was in pain. When Ann asked for essential caregiver status it was denied and her mother issued with an eviction notice. Her mother passed away a week before the eviction notice expired. Ann said:

“Sitting with my mother’s body was the longest time I had been allowed to spend with her since she had entered the care home sixteen months before.”

John, another of our helpline clients, shared the anguish of not being able to support his wife living in care. Even as an essential caregiver who supports Lesley to eat, until this week he had to book a time-limited slot.

“At one point I was called in as my wife had not been eating or drinking, it was thought that she was nearing the end of her life. However, after seeing her for 3 days, Lesley was much brighter, eating and drinking and I was most upset when I was then prevented from continuing my visits as she had improved. I felt very sure that our family contact helped with her recovery.”

Author Wendy Mitchell, who lives with dementia, shared the distressing experience of a doctor telling her she didn’t need treatment on a wrist injury as she ‘had dementia’, highlighting how vital her daughter’s support was in those situations. Other speakers shared similarly hard-hitting experiences as the parent of a disabled child, as a doctor and as a daughter supporting two parents in health and care settings.

The shock from Parliamentarians to these experiences was audible in the room. So too was the overwhelming support:

• Tracey Crouch, a Conservative MP who co-chaired the event, said it was one of most powerful she had been involved with in 11 years in Parliament. She admitted coming to the event sceptical about the need for a law change but that it took her 15 minutes to be convinced legislation was needed.

• Peter Dowd MP went straight from our “harrowing” event to Prime Minister’s Questions and asked the PM to action our call

• Hilary Benn, held up our call and exclaimed ‘how can anyone be opposed to this?’

• Care Minister, Gillian Keegan, attended the end of the event and said they are considering legislative options

The event was just the first step in our joint call, alongside campaign groups Rights For Residents and John’s Campaign. We will be working together with MPs and Peers to bring about this change.

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