By Iain Gray, East Lothian MSP

THE last few weeks of lockdown have been a strain for everyone, but none more so than unpaid carers.

I know many of them will be finding life harder than ever with increased caring and financial responsibilities, and little or no opportunities for face-to-face contact with friends, family or fellow carers.

This was highlighted in the recently published ‘Caring Behind Closed Doors’ report from Carers UK and Carers Scotland.

It found nearly four out of five unpaid carers are providing even more care for older, sick or disabled relatives during the pandemic, with the same number having to spend more money.

The report also found that around half of unpaid carers feel overwhelmed managing their caring responsibilities.

These worrying findings led Carers Scotland to call last week for the needs of carers, disabled and older people to be at the heart of the Scottish Government’s plans for easing lockdown in the coming weeks.

The way we treat carers, both paid and unpaid, is another lesson we need to learn from this crisis.

Too often, lip service has been paid to their vital role but not enough is done in practical terms to help or reward them.

Problems accessing adequate PPE has been one of the many examples of this. As we emerge from the current crisis, this situation needs to change and more must be done to ensure that the reality of carers’ daily lives matches the policy and political rhetoric.

In the meantime, East Lothian Health and Social Care Partnership continues to provide a range of support to carers, including an information leaflet on Covid-19.

This can be downloaded from East Lothian Council’s website.

Practical advice, information and support is also available from Carers of East Lothian and East Lothian Young Carers, while the national helpline to provide essential assistance to those who do not have a network of support can be contacted on 0800 111 4000.