A SCHEME to pick up elderly falls victims has yet to be introduced despite cash being set aside last year, it has been revealed.

Tendring Council’s cabinet was last year criticised following controversial plans to charge elderly people who used its Careline service an extra £25 per year – on top of the monthly £21.60 charge to be in the scheme – to be helped back to their feet if they fall over.

The aim of the scheme is to provide a response from specially-trained staff to help lift elderly people who fall over rather than risk them waiting longer for an ambulance.

The plans to charge for the new service were dropped after Harwich Labour councillor Ivan Henderson put forward an amendment at last February’s budget meeting.

He successfully put forward a motion calling for £221,000 to be set aside in the council’s budget to fund the Careline lifting service for three years.

The motion was approved, but it has been revealed that almost a year on from the meeting, the ‘lifting service’ is not yet operational.

Speaking at the council’s cabinet meeting on Friday, Mr Henderson said: “I am concerned. A report came out from the council saying how essential these services were and we piloted these services on behalf of North East Essex Clinical Commissioning Group “They were being funded by the Clinical Commissioning Group and the funding was withdrawn and we said we needed to take up that gap in the service.

“A year has gone since we put the money into the budget and the council has not introduced that service.

“Those elderly people need that service – the money is still sitting in the budget, but the service has not been provided.

“A big issue was made about this and the gap has not been filled.”

Paul Honeywood, cabinet member for housing and benefits, said delays had been caused because the council has not been able to recruit suitable staff.

He said: “The scheme has not been as straight forward to introduce as I would have liked and that is through no fault of our own.

“Recruitment has not been as swift as we would have liked. That is not because of the council not trying to recruit, it has been the take-up of suitable people wanting to do the job.

“It has been slow and we have had to advertise on more than one occasion.

“We have also had difficulties with the training.

“The ambulance service said they would be available to train, but that has not been forthcoming.

“So not only am I disappointed that other services that we are going to help save money haven’t contributed financially to make this effective, but they have also dragged their feet on the training side to such an extent that we are now looking to go to an outside company and pay to have that training done.”

Mr Honeywood added that he hoped the service would be up and running in April.

An East of England Ambulance Service Trust spokesman said: “Training opportunities between the trust and Tendring Council are being actively discussed and we have taken Mr Honeywood’s comments on board.”

The original proposal to charge extra sparked anger and a petition was signed by more than 80,000 people. People who use the service wear a device around their neck and if they fall, they can press a button to summon help.