Comments from Doctors

· Will not be enough old style places, especially if you persist in your present assessments of who needs nursing home care.

· The partners at this practice are surprised and upset that they were not consulted over the proposed changes at Carrswood in Twerton as this will have a considerable impact on their workload. We have a similar situation in the area where Avondown House has lost its nursing home status and we are inundated with calls for advice and home visits by doctors and district nurses. Also patients are now being asked to pay for some services like repeat prescriptions, dressings, etc.

· My own experience as a local GP is that more places in residential and especially nursing homes are needed, not fewer. I am aware of numbers of vulnerable people at home who would really be better cared for and supervised in a residential setting if one could be found/afforded. I am suspicious of the so-called `extracare' facilities as I have seen the erosion of the levels of care in so-called `sheltered housing' schemes over the years as wardens have been withdrawn and not replaced.

Appendix 10b

Appendix 10c

Appendix10d