CHRIS MUSGRAVE, of Embankment Road, Kings­bridge, writes:

Like Pat Steer and Sue Spratling in your article ‘Home care pair give withering assessment of support provision’, Gazette, November 25, I am a full-time carer for my wife, Toni, who also suffers from Parkinson’s.

In our case, once Toni’s care needs had been assessed by the NHS, I had to find our own ­private provider at our own expense without any help from the authorities.

Our pensions and disability living allowance do not come near covering the £12,000 a year the care costs, and so our savings are disappearing. We are fortunate with the company that looks after Toni. We know which carers will arrive and when, and they are always on time. The staff are trained ­properly, are allowed time to perform all the tasks required and are unfailingly cheerful.

How typical of the county council to hide behind the ‘individual case’ excuse in refusing to comment. Pat and Sue have been abandoned due to the commercial failure of the care company contracted by the council – and they are just two of many people in the same ­situation.

Devon County Council receives grants of £15.6m a year from central government to help provide adult social care, and according to published budgets, this figure is not being cut. So it cannot use that excuse.

Every member of the county council cabinet is paid well over £100,000 a year, plus expenses. That is numerous times more per hour than ­professional carers get through the council-imposed contracts. If we can find quality care ­without council help, why can’t these highly paid managers? It is a council cop-out.