The emphasis on delayed transfers of care (DTOC) and looming winter pressures is ‘short-sighted’ and arguments with the NHS are a ‘waste of time,’ a senior social care director has warned.

President of the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS), Margaret Willcox, urged authorities to maintain their focus across the whole system rather than getting sidetracked by the singular issue of DTOCs, which is largely associated with elderly patients.