REGARDING the possible discontinuation of the meals-on-wheels service of hot meals in York, I am a WRVS volunteer in the office which co-ordinates this service.

The volunteers who deliver the meals offer so much more than just a delivery service and it would be a huge blow to many recipients to lose this contact.

Over the past few weeks alone, they have reported: a gentleman found on the floor, one lady whose heating had broken down, and another who appeared to have become extremely disorientated.

These messages are passed on to the appropriate home care managers.

How will this work if frozen meals are delivered one a week or even fortnightly, and how will some of the elderly cope with these meals?

Gary Brittain states that the council will be discussing three options and is recommending that they accept the second one, to reassess the councils delivery of hot and frozen meals while phasing out deliveries by WRVS volunteers (Evening Press, January 6).

The first option, to continue as they are, he says is not cost effective or appropriate. This is difficult to understand because the hot meals are prepared at the council care homes and delivered by volunteers.

Recipients are now distressed by visits they are having by people asking questions including, one said, about finances.

As there have been no referrals since October, only cancellations, it becomes obvious that, as with Acomb Gables the decision has already been made.

With cutbacks in the health service and the closure of many hospitals for the elderly in York over the years, and now the outrageous decision to close Acomb Gables, plus an ever increasing elderly population does any of this add up? Or is that a pertinent question to ask this council?

Margaret Dearlove,

Eastholme Drive,

Rawcliffe,

York.

This was the letter which Margaret Dearlove wished to be printed this week, rather than the repeat of a previous letter which was published on Tuesday as a result of an email mix-up

Updated: 10:19 Thursday, January 12, 2006