MORE than £1m has been saved from an elderly care contract but critics fear it may lead to an inferior service for clients.
Cheshire West and Chester Council retendered the contract which sees carers visiting older people in their own homes to help with tasks like washing, dressing, cleaning and shopping.
The result is a £1.3m saving with a £1m boost for council coffers plus £300,000 which will be passed on to clients, some of whom contribute towards the cost of their care.
But Lib Dem Cllr Bob Thompson (Hoole, Chester) says independent companies like Hoole-based Cheshire Homecare, who lost out in the retendering, are concerned for the long-term well-being of their clients including during the stressful hand-over period.
Cllr Thompson said: “What is dominant in my mind is they are used to a care provider turning up on a regular, predictable basis and they develop a personal relationship with that carer who, after all, is providing some of the most intimate and personal services.”
Cllr Thompson claims the transitional process was flawed and is grateful to The Pioneer for passing on concerns to the authority which he believes is the reason the hand-over period was extended.
He says about six local firms have lost out in the retendering, which has already led to job losses and redundancy pay-outs, and is convinced the council process favours large national companies. “This is not localism!” he commented.
Council spokesman Ian Callister said: “It has taken 18 months to create the new service – aimed at providing good care at an affordable price – and detailed preparations for the changeover began last November.”
Mr Callister said cost was not the sole factor in determining who won the contracts.
“In fact some companies submitting lower tenders were unsuccessful, simply because they did not fulfil the most important criteria involving quality of service,” added the spokesman, who claimed there would be ‘no redundancies’ as staff will transfer across.
The contract has been won by four existing providers Allied Healthcare, First Call, Jane Lewis and Care Connect Wirral Ltd. New providers are AMG and Mears Care.
