A group of local GP practices have been honoured for the work they do to support patients who are unpaid carers.

They have been accredited as part of the Better Care for Carers scheme, a project led by Dorset HealthCare working in partnership with Mid Dorset Primary Care Network.

The project aims to showcase and celebrate practices which have met set criteria deemed important to carers.

This includes maintaining up-to-date carers register, providing clear information, making the surgery accessible with flexible appointments, and improving carer awareness among staff via training.

Nine practices in the Mid-Dorset area and the surrounding area took part in the scheme and were awarded either bronze, bronze plus, silver and gold awards depending on the services they offer.

The practices recognised with the awards they achieved are as follows:

Gold: Puddletown Surgery

Silver: Cerne Abbas Surgery

Bronze Plus: Fordington Surgery, Poundbury Doctors, Prince of Wales Surgery, Milton Abbas Surgery and Queens Avenue Surgery.

Bronze: Atrium Health Centre, Portesham Surgery.

Harriet Stevens, Dorset HealthCare’s Carers Engagement Facilitator for GP Practices said: “The practices have worked incredibly hard over the past year.

"In mid-Dorset we have seen real change and improvement, not only in identification of carers and the percentage of them accessing support from their GP, but in their own accounts and experiences of using these services.

“It has been a pleasure to work with such passionate and enthusiastic people to develop creative, proactive and innovate approaches to supporting this vulnerable group of our patient population,” she added.

A carer from Puddletown, Christine Carter, said: “I have benefitted hugely from being part of the Better Care for Carers scheme panel, which has brought the importance of carers to the foreground.

“Knowing that the surgery and doctors are there for me, to support and listen when I need their help means so much - it also encourages me to carry on with a light heart and a lot of love,” she added.

Practices in mid-Dorset will be able to aim for higher levels year on year, and the aim is to roll the scheme out to other parts of Dorset to share good practice.

For more information about the scheme and how your surgery can support unpaid carers, please contact dhc.gpcarers@nhs.net