Tory plans for a cut-price English “revolution” in community care for the elderly face failure due to fantasy-land savings targets, government auditors warned yesterday.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt took a beating over the Better Care Fund brainwave which sees £2 billion “top-sliced” from annual NHS budgets and handed to local authorities.

The scheme — announced with great fanfare in 2013 — was supposed to save £1bn a year as council-led services eased pressure on creaking accident and emergency departments.