A care service is operating on 'bare-bones' after staff were told to self-isolate in response to the coronavirus outbreak.

Evergreen Care Bexley is a charity running befriending and essential services such as shopping and medication pickups for the elderly.

The care service is struggling to keep staff on their books, due to employees being unable to complete the hours needed to cover wages and services.

Managing more than five hundred elderly residents, the care service is now struggling to provide support to residents, due to the decline in staff.

A fundraising page has been set up by the founder of Evergreen Care Bexley, Peter Kot, in a bid to provide staff costs and to provide telephone befriending support for the elderly.

A spokesperson for Evergreen said: "Evergreen is now operating on a bare-bones staff.

"We are trying to keep residents from being completely isolated in a critical and uncertain time.

"Evergreen is not a big charity- we are desperately looking for support for them.

"Everyone from the CEO down to the home support workers earns the living wage.

"These people give tirelessly to their community and need everyone's support to ensure the elderly are not forgotten in a time when they need us the most."

The page has raised £1,340 out of the targeted £25,000 at the time of publishing.

If you would like to donate visit at https://www.gofundme.com/f/evergreen-crisis-fund