Almost £1 million of additional funding will be injected into adult social care services in the Towns this winter, the government has revealed.

It's part of a wider government plan to make an extra £240m available for councils to spend on services in an effort to relieve the anticipated pressure on the nation's hospitals.

It's hoped the money will keep elderly frail people out of hospital unless they need to be there.

MP for Rochester and Strood Kelly Tolhurst said the boost was "wonderful news".

She added: “It's so important each and every one of us are able to access all aspects of our health and social care services and I expect this funding boost will go some way towards helping hardworking carers provide the best possible care to adult patients this winter.

“However, for our hospital to have their pressures eased properly this funding needs to be partnered with sufficient winter A&E relief and I am disappointed this is not yet the case. However, I want to reassure residents that I am working on this with colleagues at the Health Department.”

The total funding, announced by secretary of state for health and social care Matt Hancock last week, could be used to pay for more than 71,500 home care packages to help patients get out of hospital quicker, 86,500 reablement packages to help patients regain mobility and independence or nearly 27,000 home adaptions.

In total more than £420m has been given to health services this winter, including:

• £145m given to the NHS in September, which will go toward upgrading wards, redeveloping A&E departments and paying for an extra 900 beds

• £36.3m handed to ambulance trusts in June, which will go towards buying 256 new ambulances

Mr Hancock said: "We will use this money to get people who don’t need to be in hospital, but do need care, back home, back into their communities, so we can free up those vital hospital beds, and help people who really need it, get the hospital care they need."

NHS England Chief Executive Simon Stevens added: "Helping patients go home when they are ready is vital to easing pressure on the NHS, particularly busy A&E departments.

"Over the past 18 months, the NHS and councils have worked together to cut delayed discharges, freeing up four hospitals-worth of beds across England. This money will allow councils to build on that progress."