INFIRM elderly people who cannot speak up for themselves could once again become victims in the struggle to balance the books at county hall.

Chief executive officer of the Nursing Home Association, Frank Ursell warned that Worcestershire County Council was preparing to spend 40 per cent less on adult social services in 2002/2003 compared with government calculations based on the make up and needs of the local population.

Mr Ursell said: "The council intends to set aside only £31.7m - £21m below the government's standing spending assessment for adult social services in Worcestershire."

Home manager of the Hawthorns at Waterside in Evesham, Lawrie Boyle said: "Caring for the elderly has always been a Cinderella industry.

"We are in a crisis situation at the moment with nursing homes closing down all over the county. We are trying to provide the highest care standards in a back-cloth of chronic under funding." Mr Boyle runs a small nursing home with 20 beds for elderly people suffering from mental problems such as Alzheimer's disease. He added: "We are a charity which took over the nursing home from social services and are completely economically unviable, relying on county grants. Hospital beds for the elderly cost nearly £2,000 a week to fund, whereas nursing homes are expected to run on about £350 a week."

Worcestershire Nursing Home Association vice chairman, Peter Davidson who owns Fairwater Nursing Home in Evesham, has already been forced to close Seward House Nursing home in Badsey because of funding difficulties.

He said the recognised break-even figure across the UK is about £380 at present, which does not account for staff pay rises of 3.9%. Mr Davidson said nursing homes need £400 per bed per week to cover round the clock care, and maintain equipment and buildings.

He predicts more hospital bed blocking if there is no substantial increase in funding for the care of the elderly.

Councillor Edward Shelton, responsible for Social Services throughout the county denied that less money is to be spent next year, saying decisions would not be made until full Council on February 21.

He said: "There is no hiding the fact that in the past not enough was invested in services for elderly people, which we recognised in our Performance Indicators in October.

"We have been looking at the situation for a number of months and are committed to spending more on older people next year as we did in 2001."