COUNCIL chiefs have apologised to a stroke victim after admitting that his home care service fell from its "usual high standard," following privatisation.

David Burn, 69, of Dringhouses, former landlord of the Cock and Bottle, in Skeldergate, York, who suffered a stroke in 1999, can only use his left arm and leg and partially his right leg. He also suffers from severe speech problems.

In December, Goldsborough Homecare took over his care, under contract from City of York Council. Six months earlier, Keith Martin, the council's head of adult services, had written to him to assure him this would not affect the care he received.

Mr Martin said: "I would like to reiterate the assurances you were given in the last letter that these changes are purely to the way home care will be organised.

"This may affect who provides your care service, but there will not be any change to the level of service that you receive caused by reorganising the home care services."

But his friend, Roger Pike, a parish councillor in Beverley, claims Mr Burn has had to endure days when his carer has not arrived, arrived too late to help him shower, or failed to carry out agreed tasks.

He has written several letters to the council criticising the new arrangements, and received a reply last month from Polly Sharples, a senior adult services practitioner.

She said: "I accept that for some customers, including Mr Burn, home care services were not of our usual high standard during and for a short time after the home care reconfiguration.

"I apologise for this and reassure you that the situation is improving following a period of bedding-in."

Mr Pike said that earlier this month, Mr Burn was also told he would receive less care - five-and-a-half hours a week, rather than seven-and-a-half hours - and that it would become more expensive.

He now no longer receives help with domestic tasks such shopping, ironing and house cleaning.

A council spokeswoman said: "In late 2005, the council changed its eligibility criteria - the criteria that customers must meet to receive services - bringing it closer to that of other local councils. As part of this, domestic services were withdrawn or reduced from all but a small number of customers who required them on medical grounds.

"We can only apologise if Mr Burns feels that he has not received the high level of care that the council aims to provide its customers.

"We recognise that there were some initial teething problems experienced by some customers when new home care providers were introduced last year, but these have now been rectified in the vast majority of instances and where there are ongoing difficulties, these are being dealt with between the authority, individuals and the relevant home care agencies."