Barbara Keeley, Labour’s Shadow Minister for Mental Health and Social Care, commenting on the BMA Chair’s New Year message warning about the social care crisis, said:

“The crisis in social care is of deep concern, and the Chair of the British Medical Association is making a stark warning to the Government about it.

"Sustainability and Transformation Plans are showing that planned cuts to social care are worse than feared in areas such as Greater Manchester, North West London, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. What these cuts will mean is more older and vulnerable people having to manage without the care they need. They will also mean even more people stuck in hospital because they are waiting for care services.

"It is time for Jeremy Hunt and Philip Hammond to listen to health professionals and face up to the crisis in social care that they have created, reverse plans for further damaging cuts and fund social care as the public expect and older people need.”