A SAWTRY woman with diabetes, a severe lung condition and the early stages of dementia was left without care by social services for more than six weeks.

Doris Jacobs moved to the Huntingdonshire village to be closer to her daughter, Jackie Whittlesey. However, between the move on November 13 and December 27, Mrs Jacobs’ care needs were not agreed by Cambridgeshire County Council’s Adult Services team.

The 66-year-old lives with her husband Eddie, who at 78 struggles to look after his wife.

Ms Whittlesey, a mother herself, works night shifts and also finds it difficult to make sure her mother is taking her life-saving medication.

In tears, she told The Hunts Post: “I can’t cope. There are two things I have asked for: a district nurse to visit my mum each day to make sure she has her tablets and help giving her a shower.”

Ms Whittlesey, 38, said she was told her mother’s case would be treated as an emergency, due to the nature of her medication, but that help failed to materialise. She was told that the case worker assigned to her mother was off sick.

She said: “I understand people go off work sick and I understand more urgent cases may crop up but this still doesn’t change the fact that they haven’t got anything in place to help myself or my mum. I just don’t think this is acceptable when I’m asking for help as I can’t cope. If this is how they treat emergency cases, then I dread to think how long we would have to wait if she wasn’t.

“I’m absolutely livid.”

A spokesman for Cambridgeshire County Council, which is responsible for adult care, said: “We apologise for the delay in carrying out the assessment, which was due to a shortage in staff due to sickness. The assessment has now been carried out and a care package has been agreed to meet the needs of Mrs Jacobs.”