The government has increased funding for adult social care to help tackle NHS pressures this winter by £10m.
Councils will be able to bid from a pot of £40m – up from £30m – for cash to help prevent hospital admissions and speed up discharges from wards.
The funding will be allocated to areas deemed to have the greatest urgent and emergency care challenges this winter.
The Department of Health and Social Care suggested that councils use the funding to purchase more home care packages, to enable people to leave hospital more quickly.
“It will improve social care capacity, boost discharge rates and avoid unnecessary admissions, freeing up hospital beds and reducing waits for care,” said care minister Helen Whately.
The DHSC announced the funding, along with £200m for the NHS, following a winter planning summit between prime minister Rishi Sunak, health and social care secretary and leaders from both sectors.