The charity Age UK warned that funding and recruitment crisis in the social care system means local authorities are struggling to assess older people speedily.

In an analysis of NHS data, the charity found 28,655 people aged 65+ died in 2022/23 while they were waiting for social care.

This equates to an average of 79 deaths a day, 550 a week, and 2,388 a month.

Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, said the findings were ‘emblematic' of the ‘chronic systemic problems within social care'.

She added that ‘hard pressed' local authorities were trying ‘to meet the needs of a growing older population with resources that in no way match up.'