More support for carers? Yes, Prime Minister

The theme of this year's Carers Week has been the 'true face of carers'. And we've have had an exciting week of campaigning to raise awareness of the often unrecognised challenges that carers face and the support they need.

Yesterday, carers of people with Parkinson's were among attendees at a Carers Week reception at Downing Street, where they had the opportunity to raise awareness of the issues that carers of people with the condition face - with the Prime Minister, no less.

They spoke directly with David Cameron about the value of Parkinson's nurses for carers as a point of contact, support and advice - and the fact that they can save the Government money.

It was a particularly topical discussion, with unequal access to Parkinson's nurses still a major issue throughout the UK and some nurse posts currently under threat.

And the message obviously hit home when Mr Cameron later addressed the Carers Week reception, specifically mentioning Parkinson's nurses and recognising the need for the Government to work in partnership with carers and charities to get the right support in place.

It was great to get this issue on his radar at the reception - and even better to hear it directly from the mouth of the Prime Minister!

A huge thank you to the carers that attended. Pictured above are (left to right), Valerie Rossiter, Frank Price, David Barnes, Nadra Ahmed (also a Parkinson's UK trustee) and Pauline Wharton.

And thank you too to carer Barbara Lee from Worthing, who did a sterling job speaking to 10 MPs on a one to one basis at a 'speed networking' event earlier in the week. See some photos of Barbara in action on Flickr.

Carers face many issues, and the cuts aren't helping matters. Take action by contacting your MP to help us build momentum in our campaign for better support for carers.