In reply to the letter from Dr Lister (EA, November 21), I would like to add another scenario to the lack of nursing home beds in Swindon.

The company I work for, Life Style Care plc, builds new nursing homes in the south and is a rapidly growing company. Its new home, Kings Court Care Centre in Old Town, Swindon, opened in January 2001, but is still not full due to lack of care assistants.

In all my years as a nursing home manager, I have never experienced such a chronic problem as here in Swindon. Despite setting up many interviews, at least 50 per cent of applicants do not attend, and of those who are appointed, only one in 10 will turn up on the day.

Staffing levels are imposed by the health authority, which must be adhered to in order to keep our licence. Consequently, expensive agency carers have to be used.

I have a waiting list, and could fill another 15 to 20 beds with private patients, but Life Style Care plc has no intention of expanding here in Swindon, as it is in other locations.

The fees paid by the Swindon Social Services are totally inadequate to fund a nursing home built to more than comply with the Care Standards Act, and to be able to pay care assistants' wages that can compete with supermarkets.

Care assistants need to be reliable, patient, mature in attitude, and really like people attributes which seem to be sadly lacking in a lot of people nowadays.

I can only pray that this letter may bring a few of them to my door.

Helen Marshall

Home Manager

Life Style Care plc, Kent Road