SIR - Reports adult social care services are on the brink of collapse in three quarters of English councils is a huge concern for The British Polio Fellowship. Many of the 8,000 members we represent rely on such care to live independent lives and they are not alone. 120,000 people in the UK live with Post Polio Syndrome (PPS) and for them and millions who depend on these services, a realistic solution to this crisis is overdue.

Long term funding solutions must be found, because this crisis will deepen as the years pass. With the right care pathway, PPS can be managed, but take that support away and the burden falls on an already struggling NHS. Charities simply do not have the resources necessary to take up the slack. Spending on social care is down £7 billion from 2010 and it is hard not to conclude this simply shifted the problem elsewhere. Is it a coincidence this period has seen the NHS feeling the strain like never before?

Now is the time to honestly debate the funding needs of a sector on its knees and the long term public health implications. The British Polio Fellowship continues to help those with PPS live independent lives for longer. If you need our support or advice, call us now on 0800 043 1935 or visit www.britishpolio.org.uk

David Mitchell, national chairman, The British Polio Fellowship