LEDBURY parents whose children attend a respite centre which is earmarked for closure say they will continue to fight to keep it open.

Changes have already started to bite at No.1 Ledbury Road, Hereford, where a new system of monthly rotas, in advance of the planned closure, is causing anxiety and inconvenience for some parents.

Melissa Boyle, of the Velvet Bean Chocolate shop in the Homend, Ledbury, said the November rota had not caused any cuts in respite for her children, Fergus and Gwen.

But this could change with the December rota.

She said: "It's a sorry mess, to be honest, and we are not seeing the true effects yet. It is all this great uncertainty.

"You cannot plan anything, which is actually very challenging for the children.

"We are still hoping the unit will stay open. We mustn't give up the fight. It is such and important unit and our children need this."

Fergus, 13, and Gwen, aged 11, have a very rare genetic condition called Cockaynes Syndrome.

This causes them to have severe learning difficulties and physical disabilities.

This month, the Boyle's will get 5 days of respite care at the unit, which Mrs Boyle says is essential for her children's particular welfare and needs.

Herefordshire Council plans to replace the unit with foster care.

But Mrs Boyle said: "As of today, there are absolutely no provisions which we have been told about, and nothing else is suitable for my children. I will fight this all the way."

Cuts means that children using No.1 Ledbury Road will no longer be able stay there on a Tuesday night.

The centre, which provides respite care to youngsters with complex health needs, is set to close early next year in favour of the community foster care plan.

But parents say the idea won’t work, adding they haven’t been consulted on the scheme.

The Tuesday closure means the service has become a four-night operation.

“It’s a mess,” said Paul Gilks, who has a son who attends No.1.“It’s quite frightening that parents are being put in this position.”

In October, No. 1 was forced to close for two days because of staff sickness, prompting Wye Valley NHS Trust (WVT), which runs the facility, to make the latest changes.

Hereford MP Jesse Norman, the centre’s patron, met with parents recently.

One route which may be explored is the setting up of a consortium of concerned professionals to try and find a way of continuing the service.

Mr Norman said: “I am far from convinced that the three [WVT, the Clinical Commissioning Group and commissioners Herefordshire Council] have shown that properly trained new foster carers can be sustainably recruited to a level where they could replace the current respite care offered at No.1.

“The unit is run by well-trained staff, who really understand the children and their needs. It would be tragic if their skills were to be lost.”

Vanessa Lewis, WVT’s manager of the service, said the new arrangements will “ensure we will have the right staff to manage the service safely".

She said: "We have assured parents that the safety of the children is our priority and Herefordshire Council, Herefordshire Clinical Commissioning Group and the Trust all recognise that change for some children and their families can be difficult.

"We need to move to new arrangements so that the service is more resilient and better able to cope with staff sickness.”