A Shirehall task group has given vital backing to the Meals on Wheels service in Shropshire with a call for hot meals to continue to be provided to the elderly and other vulnerable people.

The group has also highlighted the important social aspect of the service to the housebound. The move will help allay fears for Meals on Wheels after concerns were raised this year over a Shropshire Council proposal to cut £200,000 from the service. It later scrapped the idea.

Campaigners also voiced worries that hot meals would be replaced by frozen foods.

At the time, council leader Keith Barrow said he wanted to go on the record and make it clear that the service had not and would not be cut.

The group, which includes councillors and co-opted members from the Shropshire Association of Senior Citizen Forums, Age Concern and the health watchdog CinCH, has carried out an in-depth review of Meals on Wheels and preventative services that help people to remain at home.

Its findings, which include 13 recommendations, will be presented tomorrow to the council’s community services scrutiny committee.

The task group report says the provision of hot meals is important for people who may have difficulty heating their own food or difficulty eating

“For those requiring support or having a hot meal delivered, it can also provide contact time,” says the report.

“Where a hot meal is being delivered the person delivering the meal can also report back if there are any issues or concerns that need further assessment or action.”

But the group is recommending that the council undertake a value for money study and also a “more advanced” study on frozen meals and the “hot delivery options” that are now available.

The report says: “The developments in provision of frozen meals have moved on considerably in recent years, including the development of nutritionally balanced specialist meals to meet medical, dietary and cultural requirements.

“Similarly the method of packaging and delivery of meals has improved, as have different options for reheating the meals’ provided by the frozen meals provider.”

The report also points out that more than half of all hot meals delivered are reheated frozen meals, not freshly prepared food.

The group is urging Shropshire Council to ensure that those receiving Meals on Wheels have a face-to-face reassessment, and be allowed to have a family member, carer or other representative present if they want.

By Dave Morris