Gloucestershire: Meals on wheels to stop delivering food

Ruth Cornish's mother is blind and has been relying on Meals on Wheels for the past 12 years

A service that provides elderly residents with hot meals will no longer run.

Meals on Wheels, funded by Gloucestershire County Council, will stop delivering meals from 31 March.

More than 400 people and their families across the county have six weeks to make alternative arrangements.

The operator, Apetito, decided not to rebid for the contract after the council reduced the number of meals.

Ruth Cornish's mother is blind and has been relying on Meals on Wheels for the last 12 years.

"She is totally reliant on them. Not just for a hot meal every day, but also from a social point of view."

About three months ago, Ms Cornish's mother had a fall and the person delivering food saw it and rang Ms Cornish.

"It is an absolute lifeline, and there is no alternative," Ms Cornish said.

Councillor Kathy Williams, cabinet member for adult social care, said: "We have been working with our outgoing provider to make sure all service users can get hot food delivered to them until 31 March."It's important to us that individuals have a say over their care, and we have written to all service users to offer alternatives to community meals and explain some might be eligible for reassessments and domiciliary care visits under the Care Act."

Ms Cornish said: "There should be pressure put on the council because they have a duty of care towards vulnerable people."

A spokesperson for Apetito said: "It is with great sadness that our service will cease when the current contract ends. "We understand the council will be contacting all the customers who currently enjoy a hot meals service to advise of their future plans."

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