Tens of thousands of deaths could be linked to cuts to health and social care, a new research paper by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and University of Oxford has found.

The researchers concluded that “the evidence points to a major failure of the health system, possibly exacerbated by failings in social care”.

Liberal Democrat Leader Tim Farron commented:

“It is a national scandal that in one of the richest countries in the world, vulnerable older people are missing out on the services they need and may even have died due to poor care.

“Our health and care services are at crisis point and struggling to cope.

“Day after day we hear more stories about services being cut back and targets being missed, yet there is a deafening silence from Number 10 and the Department of Health.

“I don’t know how bad the figures need to get for Government to actually take action.

“Only the Liberal Democrats are prepared to make the case that we may need to raise tax to pay for the NHS and social care services people deserve.”