Unpaid carers in Oxfordshire can now apply for a photo ID card recognising their essential role.

The initiative, organised by Carers Oxfordshire and funded by the county council, aims to simplify carers' responsibilities, from collecting medication to alerting emergency services of their role.

The ID cards, designed to be the size of a credit card, include a QR code linking to the carer's emergency contact and GP information.

They are particularly useful in medical settings, enabling carers to support the person they care for during appointments or hospital stays.

This can involve access to wards outside visiting hours, involvement in the patient's care, and participation in discussions about the patient's treatment and discharge plans.

The cards also help if a carer needs hospitalisation themselves, alerting healthcare professionals that another person may need immediate support, sometimes in a different location.

The QR code facilitates swift contact with an alternative support person while the primary carer is treated.

The ID cards are a key part of the Oxfordshire all-age unpaid carers strategy, which prioritises recognising carers, valuing them, and helping them lead fulfilling lives.

Councillor Tim Bearder, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, emphasised the importance of the cards.

He said: "Unpaid carers are a crucial part of our health and social care system and it’s only right that we look to support them wherever possible.

"Providing carers with a card, identifying their role in caring for another person, can significantly ease a person’s path to receiving the help they are entitled to, making everyday challenges less stressful."

The ID cards can also be shown to employers and teachers to inform them of an individual's caring responsibilities, and when accessing social care support.

Juliet Cocks, Head of Service for Carers Oxfordshire, highlighted the role of the cards in providing much-needed support to unpaid carers.

She said: "Carer ID cards can help provide unpaid carers with that extra support that they are entitled to, often at a time when they need it most.

"While we have already provided a number of these cards to carers in Oxfordshire, we know there’s a significant amount of people who are undertaking a caring role but have not been formally identified.

"Unpaid carers don’t need to feel alone.

"These carers are doing something incredible, and we want them to feel noticed and supported."

The ID cards are available for free through Carers Oxfordshire’s website, and the organisation is urging anyone who believes they are an unpaid carer to apply.

An unpaid carer is defined as someone who helps a person unable to manage without them, whether they are a neighbour, friend, family member, or anyone else.