Barbara Keeley MP, Labour’s Shadow Cabinet Minister for Social Care, commenting on new figures which show the number of NHS delayed days due to a lack of social care are up by nearly a quarter compared with last year, said:

“These are alarming figures. The chronic underfunding of social care since 2010 is having a severe impact on local authorities under pressure to find social care for vulnerable people, which in turn increases pressure on the NHS.

“The Tory Government must listen to the will of the House of Commons expressed in our recent debate on the funding of social care and as such we call on the Chancellor to use his Budget and end the crisis in social care which Labour recognised when we pledged an additional £8bn of funding in our election manifesto. 

Ends 

Notes to editors:

Text of motion 

“That this House notes the Conservative Party’s manifesto commitment to a funding proposal for social care which would have no cap on care costs and would include the value of homes in the means test for care at home; further notes that this proposal would leave people with a maximum of only £100,000 of assets; calls on the Government to confirm its intention not to proceed with this commitment; and further calls on the Government to remove the threat to withdraw social care funding for, and stop fines on, local authorities for Delayed Transfers of Care and to commit to the extra funding needed to close the social care funding gap for 2017 and the remaining years of the 2017 Parliament.”