Care home battle goes on; VIEWPOINTS.

WHAT a tragedy it was to read two elderly residents of Troed-yTon care home in Kenfig failed to prevent the closure of their home.

This apparent failure of the legal system to protect and preserve the rights of the residents could set a dangerous precedent for other authorities who want to cut costs at the expense of essential services to the vulnerable members of our society. As I asserted before, our Government has created a raft of legislation aimed at reinforcing the statutory rights of vulnerable groups such as the elderly and the mentally ill, yet it is all rendered useless by uncaring, national and local bureaucrats who find it easier to prevent needy citizens from being able to access these rights.

Our group is attempting to save the Bryneithin Elderly Mentally Infirm Care Home in Dinas Powys and our supporters will despair at this news, believing our fight is hopeless. Let me assure everyone we will save this home, because we hold the moral high ground and the legal basis differs substantially from that of Troed-yTon, as Bryneithin's residents are classed as being elderly mentally infirm. We will not submit to an invalid process of so-called consultation that has denied us, and our loved ones, the basic rights granted to us all in volumes of current legislation.

The lowest estimation is that the population of the over-65s will grow by 47% over the period 2002 to 2030, yet since 2002 services have been cut to a state where they are inadequate to deal with current need, let alone future need.

We ask the Toed-y-Ton campaign group to contact us and beg all readers to support the saving of essential services to the most vulnerable members of our society.

Robin Williams, Patient Advocate for, and on behalf of, the Committee to Keep Bryneithin Open Group Penarth