As part of Carers Week 2026, Stuart Andrew, Member of Parliament for Daventry and Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, met with unpaid carers to hear about their experiences and the support they need. Carers shared the realities of balancing caring responsibilities alongside work and family life, the challenges of accessing support services, and the importance of greater recognition and understanding within their communities.
Reflecting on the meeting, Stuart Andrew MP said:
"It was a real privilege to meet carers during Carers Week and hear directly about their experiences. Unpaid carers make an enormous contribution to families, communities and our health and care system, often while facing significant pressures themselves.
Our discussion highlighted the challenges many carers face in balancing work, family life, and caring responsibilities, as well as the frustrations many have with navigating social care and accessing consistent support. Building more carer friendly communities is vital to ensuring carers are properly recognised, understood and supported, and hearing directly from carers and learning from their lived experience is incredibly important."