Healthcare professionals working for under-fire provider Enara had no idea they were moving to Somerset Care until they read it in the Gazette and Herald.

Enara handed back its Wiltshire Council contract to provide social care for the elderly and vulnerable in Chippenham last week after a catalogue of failures.

But around 30 workers based in the area were unaware they were being transferred to Somerset Care until they opened last week’s newspaper. One occupational therapist, who asked not to be named, said: “I am just so angry.

“It was a complete shock. We weren’t even told what was happening, we had to read it in the Gazette.

“We knew Enara were going to lose the contract. But we had no idea we were being moved to Somerset Care.”

Enara came under fire late last year, just weeks after taking on the council contract, when a 76-year-old woman was left lying on the floor for more than an hour by a member of their home care team.

The council said last week that customers had been informed of the handover.

The occupational health worker said: “I am not saying they should have phoned every single member of staff but someone at Enara should at least have made sure the message got to us. No-one has spoken to us. It is so unprofessional. The only good thing about working for Enara has been that we have been able to see what it is like working for a care company. It has been a shambles.

“Everyone I have spoken to in the same position as me is really angry and depressed about it. This whole mess hasn’t been fair on us or on the patients.”

A spokesperson for Wiltshire Council said it would be the responsibility of Enara to inform staff of the change as the company, and not the council, are the employers.

It is thought Enara was planning a round of consultations this week with staff about the switch-over.

Enara was unavailable for comment when contacted by the Gazette & Herald.