• Matt Hancock, the health and social care secretary, has announced an additional £240m funding for social care ahead of winter.
• The funding will ease pressure on the NHS by allowing local authorities to ensure that is there is appropriate care in place for patients discharged from hospital.
• The announcement comes ahead of his speech to the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham.

Reacting to the announcement of an extra £240 million for social care, the chief executive of NHS Providers, Chris Hopson, said:

"The funding announced today by the health and social care secretary for local authorities to spend on ensuring patients can be discharged promptly into appropriate care this winter will be strongly welcomed by trusts. This is exactly what NHS Providers called for in September and it’s good to be heard.

The funding for local authorities to spend on ensuring patients can be discharged promptly into appropriate care this winter will be strongly welcomed by trusts.

"Delays in transferring patients to care outside of hospital have been a focal point of winter pressure on the health system. These waits are not good for patients, families or NHS staff working under pressure. Trusts and local authorities have worked incredibly hard over the year to reduce these delays. But after a difficult summer of record-breaking demand, trusts are not in the position they would want to be in heading into winter. This extra money will definitely help and we therefore welcome it.

"For the long-term the government's forthcoming green paper must propose bold action to put social care on the sustainable footing it so desperately needs."