Article:Glendinning, Caroline, Clarke, Susan, Hare, Philippa et al. (2 more ReuseUnless indicated otherwise, fulltext items are protected by copyright with all rights reserved. The copyright exception in section 29 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 allows the making of a single copy solely for the purpose of non-commercial research or private study within the limits of fair dealing. The publisher or other rights-holder may allow further reproduction and re-use of this version -refer to the White Rose Research Online record for this item. Where records identify the publisher as the copyright holder, users can verify any specific terms of use on the publisher's website. TakedownIf you consider content in White Rose Research Online to be in breach of UK law, please notify us by emailing eprints@whiterose.ac.uk including the URL of the record and the reason for the withdrawal request. Progress and problems in developing outcomes-focused social care services for older people in EnglandCaroline Glendinning, Sue Clarke, Philippa Hare, Jane Maddison, Liz Newbronner

AcknowledgmentsWe would like to thank the members of the Encephalitis Society who gave their time to complete the postal survey and questionnaire, and especially those who agreed to be interviewed about their experiences. We would also like to thank Alison Dowell for entering the data and Kate Grayson (Statistics by Design) for advice on statistical analysis. Finally, the suggestions of the editors (Bonnie-Kate Dewar and Huw Williams) and comments of the three reviewers were especially helpful in re-writing the paper.

Carers form a substantial proportion of the patients seen by primary care professionals, but their health needs are often overlooked. By recognizing and addressing the needs of the carer as well as the patient, primary care staff (including practice, community and district nurses) can protect the physical and mental health of both. Staff can start by developing simple systems for identifying and recording both patients who are carers, and patient who have carers. Primary health professionals may be able to identify specific opportunities for checking on carers' health, e.g. at general health checks or clinics for older people or those with chronic disease. Community nurses should ensure that they use their home visits to keep an eye on the health of the carer as well as the patient. Much of this input can be integrated into the everyday activities and priorities of the primary care team.