Comedian praises healthcare solution as he effectively works second job as unpaid carer

Carers dedicate an average of 26 hours monthly to attending healthcare appointments, in addition to nearly 12 hours weekly spent organising, travelling to and waiting for care services. Three in 10 (30%) are devoting more than 40 hours each month, equivalent to a full working week, solely to healthcare support, the Specsavers research reveals.

Comedian Paddy Raff is among millions of unpaid carers across the UK. The 42-year-old assists in caring for his younger sister Sarah, who has cerebral palsy, epilepsy and learning difficulties, and needs round-the-clock support. Sarah, 36, resides with their mother in Belfast, with Paddy and the extended family providing additional assistance. Paddy said: “We don’t really see ourselves as carers. We’re family first and foremost. It’s just something that becomes part of your life. My mum does the bulk of the care but all of us, siblings and aunties, we all chip in.

“She needs help with getting up, getting dressed, going to the toilet, transport – everything. There’s always someone there or within earshot.”

While Paddy’s family don’t view it as employment, the reality mirrors the national situation – an intensive responsibility that influences everyday life and family dynamics.

For carers such as Paddy, even standard healthcare appointments can transform into complicated and frequently daunting undertakings. Transporting Sarah to medical visits is seldom simple and typically demands meticulous planning, several people and psychological readiness. Paddy said: “It’s a three-person job just to get her out. You’re thinking, ‘how far do we have to go? What’s the access like? Will they see her on time?’ These things will live in my mum’s mind for weeks before the appointment. It can be very stressful.”

Paddy discovered Specsavers Home Visits, which provides eye care and hearing services at home, proved transformative. He said: “I hadn’t even thought that someone might come to the house to do it, it was a real godsend.

“It alleviates a lot of stress. You don’t have to plan how you’re getting there or worry about whether it will work once you arrive.”

For Sarah, the whole experience proved far more pleasant within her own home. Instead of an anxious journey, her eye examination became engaging and manageable with Graham Hanna and Matthew Brennan from Specsavers Home Visits Northern Ireland.

Paddy said: “Matthew and Graham turned it into a bit of a game, matching letters, and she loved it. She was buzzing, she gave me a massive high five. They were very accommodating of her needs and they did things at her pace.

“It’s been really refreshing to have such a painless process and get a good result at the end of it, which is a thorough eye test. As long as the person you’re caring for is happy, that’s all that matters.”

The Specsavers Home Visits service offers eligible individuals a complete, NHS-funded eye examination within their own home, alongside complimentary home hearing assessments in multiple locations throughout the UK. Find out if your loved one is eligible for a Home Visit at specsavers.co.uk/home-visits

Out of 750 unpaid carers surveyed, half (52%) identified reducing stress as the one that mattered most, while 27% said that home visit healthcare would allow greater comfort for the person they care for.

The research further revealed that two-fifths (43%) of carers lose income due to their caring responsibilities, or have had to adjust their working hours (44%), with one in 10 having stopped working altogether. Beyond time and stress, the financial burden is undeniable.

Unpaid carers spend an average of £68.90 per month supporting loved ones at appointments, with more than half (58%) spending up to £100 monthly, and nearly one in five (16%) spending more than £100.