Royal United Hospitals Bath

Help and support for Carers

Are you a Carer?

A carer is anyone who cares, unpaid, for another person - usually a family member or friend who due to physical or mental illness, disability, frailty or addiction could not always manage without this support. This is not the same as someone who provides care professionally or through a voluntary organisation.

This includes parent carers as well as children and young people with caring responsibilities.

Are you a Young Carer?

You are a young carer if you're under 18 and help to look after a relative with a disability, illness, mental health condition, or drug or alcohol problem. If you are a young carer, you probably look after one of your parents or care for a brother or sister. If you are a young carer please tell us and we will advise you about where to get help and support. As a young carer, you will be entitled to support.

If you are not sure whether what you do for someone at home or in your family makes you a young carer, contact your nearest carers centre for advice.

If you are a young carer and want to talk to someone, you can speak to a member of staff.

Are you a Parent Carer?

If you are a parent, or another adult with parental responsibilities, that cares for a child or young person who requires more care and support than other children or young people of the same age, you are a parent carer and can access services and support.

Our commitment to you

At the RUH we are committed to supporting carers and you are welcome on the wards and in departments. We recognise and value you as partners in care, and our aims to support carers are set out in the Trust's Carers Charter:

Carers Charter

Tell us about your experience - Learning from you

Carer experience matters and your feedback is very important if we are to provide a quality service, which meets the needs of patients and their carers. We welcome carers comments about their experience of the services provided by the RUH.

If you care for a person who has been an inpatient or is a patient on a ward, please complete this questionnaire.

Carers Experience Questionnaire (inpatients)

If you care for a person who has been an outpatient/day case or is an outpatient/day case, please complete this questionnaire.

Carers Experience Questionnaire (outpatients)

Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS)

You can tell PALS about your experiences of the RUH. Click here for contact details.

Involving you in your loved one's stay in hospital

We appreciate that families, friends and neighbours have an important role in meeting the care needs of many of our patients, both before they are admitted to hospital and after they have been discharged.

We want to make sure that, if you look after someone, you are involved during their stay in hospital, and in planning for their discharge.

If you are visiting hospital, please let one of the nursing staff know that you are a carer, and we will do all we can to support you and the person you care for.

John's Campaign

We support carers to have open access to visiting, and to stay with patients who have enhanced needs and require extra support.

Support for carers who are admitted to hospital

If you are a carer and you are admitted to hospital yourself, it is important that you make hospital staff aware of your caring responsibilities; so that there will be support while you are in hospital and once you are discharged home.

Support for carers visiting the hospital

Carer Hub

Whilst the Covid-19 situation is ongoing this service is suspended

The Carer Hub can be found at the Main Hospital entrance, and is a resource area with information for carers on a range of services.

Finding us (map)

Carer Hub Volunteers - Our friendly team of volunteers visit the wards and outpatient departments to provide patients and carers with information, and referral to Carer Services.

Carer Café

Whilst the Covid-19 situation is ongoing this service is suspended

Carer Support Services hold a Carer Café at the hospital; all are welcome for a cup of tea and a chat. There are volunteers available to offer you any information or support which will help you in your caring role. Information about dates for the Carer Café can be found at the Carer Hub or by telephoning BANES Carer Centre.

Looking after yourself

The role of a carer can be stressful and it is important to remember your own health needs. If you are worried about your health talk to your GP. Make sure you register as a carer at your GP practice.

You can get more information on caring for yourself from the NHS website.

The NHS Practical Guide to Healthy Caring may help you if you have caring responsibilities. It is written to be particularly relevant for those who are aged 65 years or older and are new to caring.

The Carers Centres can also provide lots of guidance and can offer support for your caring role including: