CHANCELLOR Philip Hammond has been urged by a Tory MP to invest in social care in order to fend off an imminent NHS crisis, it was revealed yesterday.

In the run-up to the Autumn Statement, Commons health committee chair Sarah Wollaston sent Mr Hammond a stern letter warning that the adult social care sector was approaching a “tipping point.”

Traditionally, local authorities were responsible for helping people to live independently, but privatisation and lack of funds have led to council-run social care largely disappearing and the NHS now deals with the fallout.

Ms Wollaston wrote that, unless there was swift action, the knock-on effects of increased A&E attendances and longer hospital stays could derail the delivery of the Tories’ NHS five-year forward view plan.

The former GP continued: “There is an emerging consensus across the NHS that any additional money which might be available in the Autumn Statement should be directed first towards social care. We agree.”

Mr Hammond is due to announce his Autumn Statement on 23 November.

Ms Wollaston rebuked ministers for giving the impression that the NHS in England was well funded at a time when pressures on its finances threaten to become “overwhelming.”

The letter, which is co-signed by four other committee members, reads: “The continued use of the figure of £10 billion for the additional health spending up to 2020-21 is not only incorrect but risks giving a false impression that the NHS is awash with cash.

“This figure is often combined with a claim that the government ‘has given the NHS what it asked for.’

“This claim does not stand up to scrutiny, as NHS England spending cannot be seen in isolation for other key areas of health spending.”

Pressures on the NHS from a growing and ageing population were “far greater” than the £10bn promised and per capita NHS funding is expected to fall by 2018-19, Ms Wollaston also warned.

This could lead to the NHS becoming unable to maintain services and cuts could be made to preventative and public health measures in order to make up the shortfall, she continued.

A government spokesman said: “We have allowed local government to increase social care spending by the end of Parliament, with access to up to £3.5bn of new support.”