We are proud to announce that Sussex MSK Partnership East (SMSKPE) and Horder Healthcare have officially been recognised as carer-friendly services by Care for the Carers (CftC)!

On 13th September 2024, we received certificates for all of Horder’s sites, and our admin offices, during an awards event held at The Horder Centre, Crowborough. Richard Tyler, CEO of Horder Healthcare, accepted the award on behalf of Horder and SMSKPE from local MP, Nusrat Ghani. See their article about this achievement, here.

This recognition is the result of an ongoing effort to ensure that carers – those who tirelessly look after others – receive the support they need. In 2023, SMSKPE partnered with Care for the Carers, a charity dedicated to helping unpaid carers in East Sussex. Their awareness training highlighted the daily struggles carers face, particularly the challenge of balancing their own health with the needs of the people they care for. With 69,000 unpaid carers in East Sussex alone, and 6.5 million across the UK, their contribution to our society is invaluable, saving the UK economy an estimated £132 billion each year.

As part of this journey, we’ve integrated CftC resources into our services to make support more accessible for carers. Whether it’s through clear signposting at our facilities, helpful information on our website, or promoting access through self-referrals, we’ve made sure that carers know where to turn for help. We’ve also contributed articles to CftC’s ‘Careline’ magazine, promoting MSK health to carers and raising awareness about how they can look after themselves while caring for others.

Being recognised as carer-friendly means that we’re committed to creating a welcoming environment for carers in all our clinics. Our flexible appointment system ensures carers can book at times that suit their schedule, and we offer services such as access to interpreters, chaperones, and locally placed clinics. We’re dedicated to making sure that carers face fewer barriers when accessing the care they need for themselves.

We’ve also taken steps to support our own staff who are carers, introducing a ‘gold standard’ carers policy. This ensures that all staff who care for others know their rights and have the support they need in the workplace.

Look out for the new carer-friendly signage in our clinics – it’s our way of showing that we’re here to support carers every step of the way.