Barbara Keeley MP, Shadow Cabinet Minister for Social Care, commenting on the BBC's You and Yours report of the shortfall in the numbers of care home beds said:

“Seven years of Tory inaction has taken a toll on the social care sector.  The Tories’ record is clear -  insufficient beds in residential care, one in three nursing homes failing inspections and 1.2 million older people living with unmet care needs.

"Keeping people out of hospital and residential care means investing properly in home care, intermediate facilities and supported housing. Yet, this Government has chosen instead to cut local authority budgets, taking £4.6 billion out of social care.

"We need a Labour Government to give social care the investment required to meet the needs of our growing older population. Our Manifesto set out our plans to increase social care budgets by £8 billion over the next Parliament and to work towards a National Care Service.”

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