Barbara Keeley MP, Labour’s Shadow Cabinet Minister for Mental Health and Social Care, commenting on the Care Quality Commission’s annual State of Care report, said:

“This report should set alarm bells ringing right across government about the very real crisis facing health and care services in England today. 

"Labour have been warning for years that if the Government ploughed ahead with its cuts to local authority budgets then people’s care would suffer as a result. The arrogance of ministers to ignore these warnings has led to the desperate state social care services are now in.

"The Tories claim to be protecting the NHS, but the reality is that the situation in social care is having a knock-on effect on already struggling hospitals. A&E departments and hospital wards across the country are being filled by older people who are unable to get the care and support they need in the community. 

"Unless Theresa May gets a grip of this situation there is a very real prospect of the care system deteriorating further and thousands of people being left without the support they need to live well at home.”

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