Nursing and rest home owners are not asking for subsidies from the Government but for realistic contributions from the DSS towards the fees of those residents whom they subsidise.

This is by far the majority of residents in rest homes and nursing homes.

New regulations regarding patient care and the payment of staff are seriously affecting both the private and public sectors. Good nursing and care home owners want to do the best both for their residents and staff but are finding it increasingly difficult to make ends meet.

Society has to realise the care of the frail elderly costs money and, as we are all living longer, an increasing proportion of us will need care in the future.

It may well be that we shall need compulsory care insurance, properly invested in the world financial markets, to pay for such care in our old age.

-The Reverend John Webster, Glenton Avenue, Hove