Commenting on the NHS Health Survey for England, Deborah Alsina MBE, Chief Executive of Independent Age, said:
“The NHS Health Survey for England adds to the overwhelming evidence that social care urgently needs reforming. Behind the term ‘unmet need’ are real people who may be unable to get out of bed, to wash or to use the toilet. The fact that a quarter of older people are living with an unmet care need is a scandal in any society that values older age.
“In addition, these figures show unacceptable variation, with older people in the most deprived areas twice as likely to be living with an unmet need than those in the least deprived. The next Government must deliver a reformed social care system that can be understood and accessed by everyone who needs it.”