Sarah McCarthy-Fry has condemned plans to axe overnight carers at seven sheltered accommodation schemes across the city.

They are set to be replaced with a mobile team of two carers who will look after all 346 residents.

Labour MP Mrs McCarthy-Fry visited four sheltered housing schemes in her Portsmouth North constituency to hear concerns from residents. She will now confront the Lib Dem-run council about the move.

She said: 'Obviously I have no control over what the council does, but I can try and make them understand how people feel.

'People seem worried they will not get the same level of care and it is taking away their peace of mind.

'If we can't get them to reverse the decision, perhaps we can reach a compromise, such as having one car for the north of the city and one for the south.'

As reported in The News, Conservative councillors have already attempted to have the council's decision overturned.

But the council's cross-party scrutiny management panel agreed the current decision should

stand and there was no reason to reconsider. Councillor Jim Fleming, Tory spokesman for housing, said Mrs McCarthy-Fry's attempts were too little too late.

'I wish she had got involved before the decision was made,' he said.

'Now she is getting people's hopes up when she was not involved in the decision-making process.

'I don't think there's a cat in hell's chance of getting the proposal changed now – I have done all I can. The Lib Dems have had plenty of opportunity to change their minds and they haven't.'

Mrs McCarthy-Fry is set to meet David Mearns, assistant housing manager, on September 7.

Changes to the current service are set to come into force from November 1 this year.

Councillor Steven Wylie, in charge of housing at the council, said: 'I understand there are concerns, and I am always happy to listen. I have said all the way along that I will keep reviewing this.'

RESIDENTS TELL OF THEIR FEARS

Residents crammed into a packed meeting at Arthur Dann Court, in Cosham, to tell Sarah McCarthy-Fry why they want to keep the current service.

They said mobile carers would not reach them quickly in an emergency, they would not be familiar and they would not feel happy contacting them for small things such as getting water, and so people would suffer discomfort.

Diana Joshua's 95-year-old mother, Lily Freeman, is at the sheltered home.

She said: 'I am very concerned she will not get the right care and she is very worried about it.

'Everyone likes to know the people that care for them, and how can two carers know 346 people?

'And the issue is, how long will it take to get here?

'It is going to cause a lot of sleepless nights.'

Residents said losing an on-site carer would take away their peace of mind.

Ingrid Savir, 75, said: 'They should not be doing this – people will no longer feel safe.'

Portsmouth City Council has been forced, it says, to make the changes because of European laws on the amount of time people can work and changes to the local pay structure.

Housing chiefs say it would be too expensive for residents – who pay for support services – and for the council to keep a night carer on site at each house.

They say time would be spent on making sure the new carers know every resident and the layout of all the homes, and claim response times would not be more than a few minutes slower than they are now.

Councillor Steven Wylie, in charge of housing, said: 'I am trying to provide the best service for everybody, and the new service will have benefits.

'The carers will be awake and so will be able to patrol all of the houses which will improve security.'

He said the service would be reviewed.

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