THE long, hard fight to stop Lancashire County Council closing old folk's homes and uprooting more than 1,000 elderly residents has ended in a deal which is a step in the right direction, but far from satisfactory.

For the compromise the county has reached with campaigners in 11th-hour horse-trading has not stopped the closures.

But it potentially resolves the risk of old folk being turned out of the care homes that are their homes and having their health and peace of mind harmed as a result.

The key point of the agreement is that every resident affected by the closure plans should have a medical assessment by their own doctor and that the County Council will consider postponing shutting down their homes if moving them poses a health risk.

It is absolutely vital that these clinical judgments are heeded and that doctors are strong enough to ensure they prevail over any pragmatism on the county's part. The well-being and saving the lives of the old folk must have priority if this deal has any validity.

All along, that has been the yardstick of the campaigners and of this newspaper. And we will be watching every step of the way to ensure that it is upheld.