Following Michael Fabricant’s question to the Prime Minister on the closure of Staffordshire Care Homes, he has followed up Tony Blair’s offer and will be taking a delegation of Staffordshire carers and care home users to see Ivan Lewis MP, the minister with responsibility for care homes at the Department of Health in London. The meeting is scheduled for 11am on Wednesday 16th May.

Michael says "I hope the meeting will be fruitful. The County has handled the closures issue in a very unprofessional way causing considerable distress to carers and to the very people whom they have a duty to care for.

"I recognise that change is inevitable with a growing percentage of the population being elderly and frail, but change should be gradual over a period of years minimising disruption to people’s lives. No amount of spin doctors employed by the County Council at a cost of over £100,000 per annum will alleviate the pain felt by carers and those being cared for. I have not a shadow of doubt that all this distress caused by the Council will shorten a number of lives unnecessarily.

"I hope the Minister will be able to make the County Council see sense."