“At first I was convinced I didn’t need any help and could manage everything on my own. I dismissed it as ‘how will talking to a complete stranger help my situation’. But I quickly came to realise that I did. Particularly talking about my partner’s disability and how difficult I was finding looking after him when he was confined to only two rooms. I felt that I had to hide my exhaustion, anxiety and at times pure frustration from him, as it is not his fault he had to have an amputation. I was very mindful of his mental health and him coming to terms with this huge change in his life. I didn’t realise how much of a huge change it would bring to my life, mental health and how I needed to come to terms with it myself. To be able to speak to someone both before and after his discharge from hospital, made me realise that I was not alone and not a bad person for having those fears and feelings.”
Caroline, a carer who accessed support from the hospital team | October 2025