The executive says it wants to help carers

New guidance means every health board will have to develop a plan to ensure the country's 600,000 carers understand what services they can use.

The carer information strategies will also cover new training for NHS staff.

Deputy Health Minister Tom McCabe said care was needed to look after the physical and mental health of carers before they reached "crisis point".

He added: "Many of these carers come into contact with health services and practitioners early on in their caring role and it is vital they are identified as carers at their first point of contact with the NHS.

Carers are key partners in the provision of care and health service professionals must learn to make use of the knowledge and skills carers have Colin Williams Princess Royal Trust for Carers

"To ensure this is achieved carer information strategies should be developed locally with direct input from carers, carers' organisations and local authorities.

"This will help to get the kind of information that is most useful to carers."

Colin Williams, director of the Princess Royal Trust for Carers, said the guidance, which is going out to consultation, marked a "fundamental change" in the relationship between carers and health service staff.

He said: "Carers are key partners in the provision of care and health service professionals must learn to make use of the knowledge and skills carers have."

The Community Care and Health (Scotland) Act 2002 paved the way for the introduction of the strategies.

The consultation on the draft guidance will seek views on the content of the strategies from NHS and council figures, carers' groups and voluntary bodies.