Desperate carers across Cumbria will be left picking up the pieces if a controversial overhaul of local health services is allowed to go ahead, local support agencies claim.

Carlisle Carers say they are already seeing local people “at the end of their tether” because community services are so thin on the ground.

Now bosses want to close community and acute hospital beds and instead provide cheaper care in people’s own homes.

Dawn Kenyon, from Carers Support Cumbria, fears the unpaid carers will soon be left under even more pressure, warning that the additional stress could lead to breakdowns.

Kay McGregor, operations manager at Carlisle Carers, said they are seeing many people “at breaking point” already – with one desperate man recently leaving his wife at A&E because he had nowhere else to turn.

The Success Regime’s Future of Healthcare proposals have been met with huge opposition across north and west Cumbria. To date more than 1,800 people have backed the News & Star’s Save Our Services campaign, which urges bosses to urgently rethink plans that will have damning consequences for the area.

They include closing community hospital beds, moving more urgent services from Whitehaven to Carlisle, and reducing bed numbers at the West Cumberland Hospital and Cumberland Infirmary.

Instead the Government’s Success Regime wants to care for more people in their own homes, delivered by new integrated care teams set up in each area, and focus on preventing illness.

At the same time Cumbria County Council has launched a separate consultation over planned care home closures, again talking about allowing people to stay at home, with care packages.

Bur Mrs Kenyon, who is also chief executive of Carlisle Carers, said there is no detail about where the extra home care will come from and fears it will fall on carers – many of whom are already struggling to cope.

She said there are already 56,000 unpaid carers in Cumbria, usually family members or close friends, and it is rising every year.

Together, these carers, who range in age from young children to the very elderly, provide the bulk of care in the community.

Mrs Kenyon has also set out her concerns to the Cumbria Health Scrutiny Committee, which ultimately has the power to call in the final decision on the changes and refer it to the health secretary.

She said these individuals are already suffering as a result of cuts in social care, home care, respite and day services. And she fears that cutting NHS services will be the final tipping point.

“We recently had a case where one carer desperate for support, who couldn’t access respite or home care, had taken his wife to A&E and left her because he could see no other way of getting adequate support.

“All of the current proposed changes mean increased travel for carers, increased costs, increased stress and possibility of breakdown of the caring role. Isolated unsupported carers are only going to lead to an increase in hospital admissions, not a reduction,” she explained.


Related: Success Regime's plans for health services in Cumbria


Mrs McGregor added: “We are presently experiencing more and more carers at breaking point, for example not able to (and refusing to) take the person they care for back home out of hospital, as they just can’t provide care, on their own, 24 hours a day any more, or they would have a breakdown and be ill themselves.”

They claim there has been little or no consultation with carers, and said there is no real detail in the consultation document explaining how the impact on unpaid carers will be mitigated.

Mrs McGregor said they are not against change, but do not feel this has been properly thought through.

“It is understandable that changes need to be made as there is not the money available to support the services we presently have. However, we cannot just expect unpaid carers to pick up the reins without any proper planned support,” she explained.

“In fact, when there is a breakdown when the carer is at breaking point, it costs more, as the carer needs medical intervention and support to get them back to mental and physical health.”

She added that many carers are so busy looking after someone else they neglect themselves, and finish up with health problems.

Their comments follow a national report last week by the Care Quality Commission which warned adult social care services are “approaching tipping point”, with an ageing population – an issue that is a huge issue for Cumbria – likely to further add to problems.

Mrs McGregor added: “We are already experiencing carers using A&E as a last resort, when all else fails. Yet, if they had been able to get support in their caring role, an admission could have been avoided. It is very concerning that there is consideration being given to decreasing community support services, when there is actually a proven need to increase them. There are deep concerns for carers and the future, if the Success Regime delivers on all the proposals, and makes the preferred choices highlighted.

“It really is very scary.”

Mrs Kenyon also stressed that carers have vital rights which say they should not be left without adequate support.

Support the News & Star's Save Our Services campaign by signing our petition here