During Carers Week 2026, we’re really excited to be launching our new Carer Friendly Hospital and GP Surgery Awards — supporting this year’s theme of Building Carer Friendly Communities.
When we talk about communities, we don’t just mean neighbourhoods or workplaces. Communities exist everywhere — including in the places you go for health support. That’s why we’ve created these new awards: to help make sure hospitals and GP surgeries across Suffolk are places where you, as a family carer, feel recognised, supported and understood.
Why this matters
There are over 60,000 unpaid family carers in Suffolk, and we know there are many more people who don’t yet identify themselves as carers — even though they’re providing essential support to someone they love.
This means it’s more important than ever that everyday settings, especially health services, help carers feel visible and valued. A simple conversation, a bit of understanding, or the right information at the right time can make a huge difference.
What does “carer friendly” look like?
Our Carer Friendly Awards help healthcare providers show their commitment to supporting carers in meaningful, practical ways.
To achieve the award, organisations work towards making sure carers are:
- Recognised as carers when they interact with services
- Listened to and involved in conversations about care
- Signposted to useful support and information
- Respected in their role — especially in challenging or emotional situations
For GP surgeries, this builds on the work already happening to identify carers and connect them with the right support. We know that those early conversations — when someone first shares their caring role — are incredibly important.
Supporting carers in hospitals
As Debbie Reeve, Project Manager at Suffolk Family Carers, explains:
“We feel it’s really important to recognise hospitals as Carer Friendly, so that unpaid family carers have confidence that their role, knowledge, and needs will be recognised and valued… Family carers have important rights, and it is essential that they feel supported, particularly in hospital settings where the experience can often be overwhelming.”
Being in hospital can be a stressful and uncertain time. Knowing that staff understand your role as a carer — whether you’re supporting someone else or are a patient yourself — can help you feel more confident and supported.
Working together with GP surgeries
GP surgeries also play a vital part in recognising carers early and helping them access support.
As Demi Smith, Project Manager, shares:
“The Carer Friendly GP Award also focuses on how GP surgeries can identify carers during appointments, provide the right information, and refer them to us so they can access support. Often carers don’t realise help is available, so those early conversations are vital.”
A long-term commitment to supporting carers
These awards aren’t a one-off. Organisations will review and renew their status each year, helping to make sure standards stay high and carers continue to receive consistent, quality support.
By recognising and celebrating carer friendly healthcare settings, we hope to inspire even more organisations to get involved — helping to build a Suffolk where carers feel safer, more confident, and better supported wherever they are.
Find out more
Learn more about our work in hospitals: Find out about hospital support
See which GP surgeries have achieved the award: View Carer Friendly GP Surgeries
