By Eric Nicolson

THE HUNDREDS of elderly and lonely people who receive the WRVS meals on wheels service in Perth and Kinross will soon have the chance to make their feelings known to the council on the controversial plans to scrap the scheme.

As revealed by The Courier earlier this year, the council has started a tendering process that will see firms bid for a contract to deliver frozen meals.

There has been angry criticism of the move, with opponents emphasising that the daily contact provided when volunteers deliver a hot meal is vital. They have warned that many people might not be able to reheat frozen food, or might be too unwell to do so.

The daily delivery of hot food is traditionally popular as it provides elderly, often housebound residents, some rare contact with the outside world and also ensures that they are safe and well.

More than 400 residents who receive meals on wheels will soon receive letters explaining why the council feels it has to make the changes. The council has pledged to follow this up with a phone call.

Councillor Alasdair Wylie, vice-convener of the housing and health committee, said, “This council is committed to providing high quality services for all our older residents.

“The key questions that must be asked in relation to the meals on wheels service are—should people have access to a meal every day of the week if it is required, and should all residents who need a meals service have access to the same level of service?

“The answer to these questions is obviously yes. This is why the meals on wheels service must be improved. We want to provide a service that will allow every resident, in every part of Perth and Kinross, to receive a service that is tailored to their specific needs.

“The current meals on wheels service is not available to residents in very rural parts of Highland Perthshire, and only available to the majority of residents three days a week. It relies on meals being cooked in one place and transported to residents’ homes.”

He added, “The council is investigating an option that has been successfully introduced by other councils. It is based on providing residents with healthy, nutritious meals that can be cooked and eaten when it suits the individual person.

“This service means that meals are available seven days a week for those who require them; that people can choose from a much bigger menu, that caters for cultural and other dietary requirements; that people choose when to eat; and can order more meals if they wish, for example, if friends or families visit.

“We all need meals every day. We do not all need the same amount of support to get the meals ready and eat them. We do not treat older residents as one group.

“We are also working to develop a befriending service that would provide residents with a dedicated time-for-a-chat service.

“We will continue to fund WRVS and would hope to be able to deliver this new service in partnership with them, given the invaluable experience of their volunteers within the community. We are in discussions with the WRVS about this.”

The willingness of volunteers to participate in such a scheme, which is very different to the one which they carry out at present, is unknown.

Proposals for change to the service will be discussed by the housing and health committee on May 21.