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Following an approach by Mary Mitchell (one of our Tide Advisory Group members), a group of five carers from North Wales, along with our Chair of Trustees Ruth Eley, met with Rhun ap Iowerth on 27 June. He is the member for Anglesey of the Welsh Senedd and the shadow health and care minister. 

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The carers told their stories to highlight the difficulties that unpaid carers experience, particularly during and after getting a diagnosis, when they are often left to their own devices with little advice on where to get further information or help. They also highlighted the difference across North Wales in the extent and quality of services, depending on where you live - a familiar story to many.

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We also raised the potential role of hospices in providing high quality respite care for people with dementia and family carers, based on the real experiences of one of our local carer members. Rhun was especially interested as he is a member of the Cross-party group on palliative and end of life care. Ruth was also able to highlight the difficulties for voluntary sector organisations in the current climate: warm words about how wonderful we are do not pay the bills! We all felt listened to and are confident he will use our discussions in his role to influence policy in relation to unpaid carers.