Hundreds of Bristol pensioners have been sent to care homes outside the city - with one placed 226 miles away.
The revelation comes following an investigation by the Labour Party during which Freedom of Information (FoI) requests were submitted to 152 care-commissioning local authorities.
Bristol City Council, South Gloucestershire Council and North Somerset Council were collectively responsible for 1,305 people receiving residential care outside their home area last year.
Labour’s shadow minister for social care Barbara Keeley MP said the statistics were “unacceptable”.
She said: “Not only are fewer people getting home care, but others are being sent to care homes hundreds of miles from where they live.
“If the government is serious about supporting older and disabled people to live the lives they choose, then they must increase investment in social care across the board.”
Bristol City Council has arranged for 301 people to receive residential care outside the city in 2017/18.
Of these people, a total of 18 are aged 65 or older and 113 people were aged 18-64.
* An earlier version of this article wrongly stated 803 people received residential care outside of the city, with 519 aged 65 or over. This is due to an error in Bristol City Council's response to the Freedom of Information request, which it has now corrected.
The furthest from home that a person was sent was 226 miles away, to Durham.
South Gloucestershire Council has arranged for a total of 427 people to receive residential care outside the local authority’s boundaries, with a cost of £13,864,000 in 2017/18.
Of those placed outside their home area, a total of 273 are aged 65 or older.
The furthest a person was placed was 177 miles away, in Norwich.
South Gloucestershire Council member Ben Stokes, cabinet member for adults and public health, said: “The priority in finding the right placement for any individual is that it meets their needs and agreed outcomes.
“The overwhelming majority of these placements are arranged inside South Gloucestershire or in neighbouring areas, because we recognise that being close to family, friends and community is important.
“There are times when another location may be preferred either because it can deliver better support to the individual, or because that person wants to live elsewhere.”
North Somerset Council placed a total of 75 people in residential care outside of the local authority boundary, with the most distant destination being Rochdale (230 miles away).
A spokesperson for the UK government’s department of health and social care said: “People must have access to high-quality care that meets their needs.
“Local authorities have a duty to ensure people receive appropriate care and support - we have given them access to up to £3.9 billion more dedicated funding for adult social care this year, and a further £410 million is available for adults and children’s services.
“We will set out our plans to reform the social care system at the earliest opportunity to ensure it is sustainable for the future.”
Bristol City Council and North Somerset Council were both contacted for comment.
