This year is the 70th anniversary of the NHS. It is also the 70th anniversary of our social care system—but this has received far too little attention to date.

Yet social care is more important than ever before. A quarter of older people now need help with daily living—getting up, washed, dressed and fed. More adults with physical and learning disabilities need substantial packages of support. There are 1 million paid care workers and 6.5 million unpaid carers.

Despite the increased pressures in social care there has been a 10% cut in real terms in social care spending since 2010, with 400,000 fewer people getting any kind of help and support.

We need substantial extra funding to tackle these problems, and reforms to put users and families at the heart of the system. You can read my speech on these issues, as part of Labour’s opposition day debate on social care here.