A review of the meals-on-wheels service in Essex has been completed and a final decision will be made on its future in December.

The ''best value'' review by Essex County Council's health and social services select committee has made a number of recommendations for the short, medium and long term future of the service.

These have been put to Cllr Elizabeth Dines, cabinet member for health and social services, who will present a report to the executive board on December 13.

The committee has recommended that existing contracts should continue to operate for one year, and that the standard of meals-on-wheels provision in Nottinghamshire should act as a model for moving the service forward in Essex.

In addition, a manager should be appointed to steer the overall development of the meals-on-wheels service and Nottinghamshire social services should be among those invited to tender for the supply of meals-on-wheels in Essex.

The review also recommended that frozen meals should be available to those customers who wish to order them and that deliverers should wear a uniform and display appropriate credentials.

Chairman of the health and social services select committee, Cllr Pat Pascoe, said: "In making our recommendations, the first and foremost consideration of the select committee has been to make sure that customers are the focus of the meals-on-wheels service."

Cllr Dines said she would consider the recommendations carefully when producing her report to the executive board.

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