Health chiefs have announced that the department will no longer fund the Age Concern Meals on Wheels service.

A decision to axe the catering service, which supplies food to about 300 people, was made earlier this month and will take effect from January 12.

Age Concern, which supplies the meals with the help of a £150,000 contract from the department, delivered about 66,000 meals last year. Each meal is charged at £3.50, of which £2.25 goes to the Government Catering Service.

The pre-made meals, which need to be reheated before consumption, are provided to elderly or disabled persons who struggle to prepare meals on their own.

The Examiner headed to Strand Street to ask shoppers their thoughts about the cut.

’It’s an absolute disgrace! That damn women should be sacked,’ said Stewart Green, 69, from Onchan referring to the Health Minister, Kate Beecroft.

’What happens if one of the elderly receiving the service takes a turn for the worst? They don’t have someone there to realise something is wrong.’

He added: ’An idea would be to increase national insurance by 1% instead of axing the Meals on Wheels,’ he added.

His wife, Janet, 72, agreed, saying: ’People receiving the meals are sitting on their own and need a bit of company.’

The Greens were not the only ones concerned about the social impact the change may have on the recipients.

Hans Albers, 64, who lives in sheltered accommodation in Pulrose, says he sometimes feels isolated when he has nobody looking after him over the weekend.

’If many people are using it everyday, they are going to feel alone when the visits stop.’

Ramsey residents, Paul and Jannettea Taylor, also shared their concerns about the issue.

’People really do use the service. We had a neighbour who lived on her own and used the Meals on Wheels service.

’We sometimes popped in to see how she was doing and to give her a bit of company. She didn’t have a car and so having this service was really useful for her.’

Wife Jannettea added: ’She was also diabetic and they catered for that too.

’It was something less she needs to worry about and she enjoyed the meals she was getting.

When asked for an alternative to keep the Meals on Wheels service, but stay within the Department of Health and Social Care’s budget, she said: ’The department need to look at everything, for instance, their own salaries.

’Perhaps Kate Beecroft might like to give some of her big salary or she could even try and deliver some food to those in need of the deliveries.’

Alison Kerruish, who is in her mid-50s from Douglas, called the service a ’lifeline to a lot of people’.

’If the service exists, then there is a reason for it,’ she said.

When asked for her suggestion of an alternative, Alison said: ’I’m not sure. It’s difficult to be able to save money without causing anyone upset.’

Other members of the public we spoke too were strongly in favour of the cut, but were hesitant to have their say published in the Examiner.

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