Council cancels Meals on Wheels contract due to 'poor quality' of meals supplied in Milton Keynes

MK City Council has ended its contract with the company that supplies meals on wheels to vulnerable and elderly people all over the city.

Officials say the decision was made mainly due to the “very poor quality of meals”.

From the beginning of April, alternative arrangements will be made for the people who are reliant upon having the hot food delivered to their doors. Many will be supported by home carers making meals for them, or by using an alternatives such as frozen meals that can be heated in a microwave.

The council is also looking at investing in new in-house cooking facilities at its own sites so meals can be of a better standard, provide better value for money and keep people living independent lives.

This week opposition Conservative councillors hit out at the decision to scrap the contract, which they say was taken “in secret” by the Labour/Liberal Democrat administration.

They say it was wrong to remove the “lifeline” for those most in need at this difficult time of rising costs and freezing temperatures. And the frozen food replacement service could place vulnerable people unable to use a microwave or fridge at risk, they claim.

Cllr Saleena Raja, MK Conservative group’s Cost of Living ppokesperson, said: “It’s a shame that, first the bus service was taken away from our elderly residents, which has impacted hugely on both their social life and mental health and now during these difficult times when people are dealing with the cost-of-living crisis, our most vulnerable citizens will not have any hot, nutritious meals delivered to them.

"I do not even want to begin to imagine the problems this will cause, especially to their health and well-being.”

But Labour council leader Pete Marland has denied people are at risk and described the Conservatives’ criticism as “shocking”.

He said: “Milton Keynes City Council is ending our contract with the current supplier because of concerns we have repeatedly raised with them that the meals they have been providing do not meet our expectations for the residents that use the service.

“The council is working with customers who are affected and many of those are now being supported by a home carer making meals on site or an alternative. “The city council is also looking at investing in new cooking facilities at a number of our sites so that meals can be prepared for people on that provide better standards, provide better value for money and keep people living independent lives.”

Pete added: “It’s genuinely quite upsetting and wrong for the MK Conservatives to be making such false and upsetting claims about a service when the council is acting to protect the interests of some of our most vulnerable residents.

"We are sorry to have ended our agreement with the supplier but due to the overriding quality concerns we were compelled to take this action – this followed many attempts to work with the meals on wheels provider to improve. A number of other authorities with the same supplier are taking a similar action.”

The contract with the supplier will end on March 31.