Carers must not be seen as an economic burden with the Government ensuring they receive greater flexibility at work, a former health minister has urged.

Liberal Democrat Paul Burstow said aside from the physical and emotion toll carers experience, reports suggest three million people try to balance caring responsibilities with paid work.
And Mr Burstow said studies also highlighted 2.3 million have given up work to care for someone leading to the UK economy losing £1.3 billion a year from tax revenues and benefits.
The figure devised by the London School of Economics rises to £5.3 billion a year when lost earnings are also taken into consideration.