Agency care is just to make a profit; VOICE OF THE NORTH.

YOU report that hundreds of home care workers in Northumberland are under threat of redundancy (The Journal, August 19) and that the cuts are said to be required in order to meet Care Quality Commission standards and achieve savings. However, I believe there is a huge difference between the standard of care received from council care workers and that offered by private care workers. A friend of many years is in a coma during the final stages of cancer. He is not expected to last long and the Macmillan nurses have taken over care.

He has bowel cancer, the use of only one hand and was already disabled prior to having cancer, but with his regular home help managed perfectly well in his own home.

When he was diagnosed six months ago, the council home care came to look after him. He said they were wonderful and couldn't do enough for him.

Then his care was handed to an agency and this poor man, who is incontinent and has a catheter, was having to get himself changed, with only one hand. He did not have the catheter bag changed because the care worker didn't want to do it. He did not like to complain, but eventually his family did, to the social worker who arranged for council care workers to come back in. Once again they proved themselves to be excellent.

Private companies operate for one reason: to make a profit. That's it, its not the love of the human race or a heartfelt need to care for the sick, elderly and dying, it's to make money. NAME & ADDRESS SUPPLIED, Whitley Bay, North Tyneside