HOME care for elderly and disabled residents is to be outsourced to private companies.

Bromley Council currently provides care for around 5,000 people across the borough but gradually over the next few months this will be outsourced to care agencies.

It says this is not a new proposal as around 60 per cent of care in the borough is already provided by private companies.

The council’s director of adult and community services Terry Rich said: “These care agencies are contracted to provide equally reliable and high quality care services as the council, but have proved far more cost effective.

“Any changes are being carefully and sensitively introduced to minimise any impact on those who use these services.”