SHORTAGE of cash is forcing the closure of three day centres in Herefordshire for Alzheimer's sufferers.

The Herefordshire Branch of the Alzheimer's Society said it was both sad and angry at having to make the decision.

Day Care now provided at Bromyard and one day at Hereford will cease at the end of March, as well as one in Ross-on-Wye.

It will continue one day in Hereford and one day in Ledbury and the number of people who get help will be cut from 37 to 18.

The Herefordshire Society wants £77,000 a year from Herefordshire Primary Care Trust and Herefordshire Council's social services to keep the service going.

The two authorities give £30,000 and have turned down the request saying an extra £45,000 in one leap from the same service cannot be justified.

Alison Smith, branch treasurer, said £30,000 was not enough and the branch had expanded its services with money from other sources such as trusts and donations.

But the Society was a registered charity and Charity Commission rules only allowed it to use this money to pay for care for a short period.

She said it was a very sad day for victims of Alzheimer's and for their carers who desperately needed a break.

Safety standards

She added the cost of care was forever rising to meet more statutory health and safety standards.

Herefordshire Primary Care Trust chief Paul Bates confirmed the request for an extra £45,000 had been turned down.

"They are asking for a huge increase for providing the same service and we cannot justify that," he said. He agreed the authority had a responsibility to look after people with dementia and he was looking at ways of providing alternative help for patients and carers.

It could mean the authority still having to pay out extra money to do so.

Mr Bates said work done by the Alzheimer's Society as "absolutely terrific" and highly valued.

"It is one of the finest society's around and we would bend over backwards to accommodate them," he said.

He added it was one of many societies finding social care more expensive each year.

He hoped they would continue to work closely together in the future.

Mr Bates added the authority was explaining the situation to individual families.

Mrs Smith said the Alzheimer's Society was not giving up and was considering other ways to offer help to other parts of the county, and to provide for younger people with dementia and hoped to announce some plans later in the spring.