A CARERS Panel may be set up as the result of a conference for carers on mental health issues.

The conference will cover the whole of East Lancashire.

It is being held at the Oakenhead day care centre, Haslingden Old Road, Rawtenstall, from 10.30am to 2.30pm on Saturday and is being arranged by the Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale Council for Voluntary service.

The aim of the conference is to explore ways in which the carers' voice can be heard and taken notice of by setting up a carers' panel to feed in their views to the structures already in place to plan services in East Lancashire.

The event is supported by Health and Social Services and endorsed by the Joint Mental Health Services Group.

Speakers will be Karen Newbiggin, mental health services manager for the East Lancashire Health Authority and Alan Gray, mental health development officer with Social Services in Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale.

Carers will be given time to express their opinions and state their priorities.

Anyone wishing to attend should contact carers liaison officer Muriel Syed at BP&R CVS, 83 Hammerton street, Burnley, tel. 01282 433740.

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