No surprise (From Malvern Gazette)

No surprise

1:10pm Friday 14th September 2007 in Letters

The announcement by Shaw Healthcare that not every resident living in Leadon Bank, Ledbury, will be offered a room in the new building comes as no surprise whatsoever.

I am absolutely appalled at Shaw Healthcare's treatment of the elderly residents of Leadon Bank, many of whom may have lived in Ledbury most of their lives and have elderly family or friends who may have difficulty in visiting them wherever they may go.

Where will the go? Does Shaw Healthcare care - I don't think so. The new' Leadon Bank is an enormous monstrosity looming out of nowhere at the bottom of Belle Orchard, whose appearance is devoid of all character and was never designed as a residential home. Where in Herefordshire can the residents who will not pass Shaw Healthcare's assessment go? Herefordshire Council leased all of it's care homes to Shaw Healthcare.

I truly hope there is an outcry from the residents of Ledbury over this treatment of our elderly folk, who have worked hard all their lives, survived one or even two world wars and deserve to remain in their current home. Obviously this is not going to be possible.

How would the management of Shaw Healthcare feel if one of their elderly family members was in this situation, where the home they had lived in for many years knowingly made no provision for some of them when it was rebuilt and did not care what happened to them because I am quite sure Shaw Healthcare is only interested in it's so-called not-for profit organisation, because if it did care this deplorable situation would not arise.

GILL DAVIDSON, New Mills, Ledbury.